Citywide festivals with free music, dance, and theater performances by local groups take place all year long but especially in July and August. A three-week spring cultural and gastronomic festival with international headliners takes place in the Centro Histórico between March and April.

Another good place to check for current events is Tiempo Libre, a weekly magazine listing activities and events in Spanish (www.tiempolibre.com.mx). It's available at newsstands. You can find movie listings on the Cinépolis Web site, www.cinepolis.com.mx. Films in English are generally subtitled.

Nightlife in Mexico City starts late. People generally have cocktails at 7 or 8, take in dinner and a show at 10 or 11, head to discos at midnight, then find a spot for a nightcap or tacos somewhere around 3 AM. The easiest way to do this if you don't speak Spanish is on a nightlife tour. If you set off on your own you should have no trouble getting around, but for personal safety absolutely avoid taking taxis off the street -- take official hotel taxis or call a sitio (stationed) taxi.

The most popular neighborhoods for barhopping include Col. Polanco, San Angel, Coyoacán, La Condesa, and, for cantinas, La Roma. Niza and Florencia streets in the Zona Rosa are practically lined with nightclubs, bars, and discos. Big hotels have bars and places to dance or be entertained, and they are frequented by locals. Imported booze is expensive, so you may want to stick with what the Mexicans order: tequila, cerveza (beer), and rum, usually as a cuba libre (with Coke).