Taste of Mérida's new venue: Hacienda Santa Lucía Kantoyná

A benefit dinner set for late March will raise money for a Mérida organization that has spent nearly 20 years tackling HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted infections, and teen pregnancy across the Yucatán Peninsula.

The 2026 Taste of Mérida, hosted by Fundación BAI A.C. (Brazos Abiertos, or “Open Arms”), takes place Wednesday, March 25, at Hacienda Santa Lucía Kantoyná in Conkal, a short drive north of Mérida. The event’s theme is “Black and White Elegance,” and guests are encouraged to dress in that palette.

Taste of Mérida 2026 will be held at Hacienda Santa Lucía Kantoyná in Conkal.Photo: Courtesy
Taste of Mérida 2026 will be held at Hacienda Santa Lucía Kantoyná in, Conkal.Photo: Courtesy
Taste of Mérida 2026 will be held at Hacienda Santa Lucía Kantoyná in Conkal.Photo: Courtesy

The evening features five wine and food pairings, live music, art, and a silent auction. Doors open at 6 p.m., with hors d’oeuvres at 6:30. A formal welcome and the first course begin at 7. The auction closes at 10 p.m., and goodbyes start at 11.

Tickets cost 2,500 pesos per person. The venue is at Tablaje 3610, Hacienda Kantoyná, 97347 Conkal, Yucatán.

About Fundación BAI

Founded in 2006 by Houston-based HIV specialist Dr. Gordon Crofoot and formally established in Mérida in 2007, Fundación BAI has grown into one of the region’s most active public health nonprofits. The organization operates three core programs: education, screening, and care.

Its education program sends instructors into schools throughout Yucatán to run workshops on sexual health, healthy relationships, and HIV prevention. The screening program offers free and confidential rapid HIV testing through campaigns organized with community partners. Anyone who tests positive is connected to the care program, which provides medical follow-up, psychological support, and nutritional counseling.

Over the past decade, the organization reports reaching more than 220,000 teens and adults across the Yucatán Peninsula, conducting more than 64,500 free HIV tests, holding more than 2,250 workshops, and providing ongoing care to more than 517 people.

Executive Director Dr. Carlos Cabrera, a physician who trained in HIV care at the Crofoot Research Center in Houston, leads the organization’s day-to-day operations. BAI relies entirely on private donations.

Why it matters

Mexico recorded approximately 19,000 new HIV diagnoses in 2024, according to the country’s national health agency CENSIDA. The epidemic remains concentrated primarily among men who have sex with men, sex workers, and people who inject drugs. About 90 percent of new infections in Mexico occur through sexual transmission.

Teen pregnancy is also a persistent challenge in Yucatán. Mexico ranks among the highest in Latin America for adolescent birth rates, and rural and indigenous communities in the peninsula face particular barriers to reproductive health education.

BAI’s model — peer-to-peer education delivered directly in schools, combined with free testing and direct care — addresses those gaps in a region where public health infrastructure can be stretched thin.

The Taste of Mérida is one of two annual fundraisers that keep the organization running. The other is the Showcase of Homes, a popular self-guided tour of private residences in Mérida. Both events depend heavily on community support.

The venue

Hacienda Santa Lucía Kantoyná is a restored colonial estate in the municipality of Conkal, approximately 20 minutes from central Mérida. The property features lush gardens, a large esplanade, and preserved colonial architecture — making it a fitting backdrop for a black-tie benefit dinner.

More information about Fundación BAI is available at fundacionbai.org.