About Us

Hola! I am Kat, and San Miguel de Allende is my home.

Kat Sparks has been living, laughing, and deeply rooted in San Miguel de Allende for over 20 years. A bestselling author, performer, passionate volunteer, and devoted community integrator, she has spent two decades connecting people to this extraordinary ciudad and to each other. She is the founder of ExperienceSMA, a labor of love that brings locals, expats, and visitors together around kitchen tables and curated adventures, and created the University of Expats, a collection of self-paced online courses helping people navigate their move to Mexico with confidence. Kat believes that the best thing about SMA is its gente, and everything she does is built around bringing more of them together.

I am a performer, a bestselling author, a community builder, and a person who takes good food very seriously. I created ExperienceSMA because I believe the best way to truly know a place is to sit down at a kitchen table with the gente who live there. And I wanted to make it easy for everyone to do exactly that.

Whether you are visiting SMA for the first time, settling in as a new expat, or someone like me who simply never wants to leave, you have found your people.

Curated with care, every single time.

Every venue, every experience, and every adventure I share with you has been personally vetted by me. I visit the restaurant, taste the food, feel the vibe, and ask the hard questions. If it does not meet my standards, it does not make the list. Simple as that.

Events are intimate by design, capped at 10 to 30 guests so that everyone actually gets to connect. No giant banquet halls, no name tags left on tables. Just real people sharing real meals in spaces that feel special.

I work directly with venues to create experiences that go beyond a regular restaurant visit. The venue sets the price and receives all revenue directly. I do not charge venues or take a cut. What I ask from guests is a small voluntary donation of 50 to 100 pesos. Every peso goes directly to local animal rescues and charities that are doing beautiful work here in SMA. It is a little thing that adds up to something meaningful, and I am grateful every time someone contributes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you choose a venue?

I visit in person, experience the food, the service, and the overall ambiente. If it checks
every box, I invite them to host an ExperienceSMA event. If it does not, I keep looking.
Your experience is too important to leave to chance.

Do I need to RSVP?

Yes, and here is why it matters. Each event has a set number of seats so the venue can
prepare properly and every guest gets the full experience. Please RSVP at
ExperienceSMA.com for every event you plan to attend. Facebook RSVPs unfortunately
do not count, as I need your information through the official system.

Can I come solo?

Absolutely, and I encourage it! Some of my favorite regulars started by walking in alone
and left with a dinner reservation already planned with their new friends. You are never alone at one of my events. I make sure of it.

Who comes to these events?

A wonderful mix! My guests are roughly 60 percent locals and long-term expats, and 40 percent visitors to SMA. That blend is part of what makes each gathering so rich. You might end up sitting next to someone who has lived here for 15 years and knows every back street in town, or someone who just arrived and is seeing the jardin for the first time. Both perspectives make the conversation better.

What if I need to cancel my RSVP?

Life happens! Please let me know as soon as possible so I can release your seat to
someone on the waitlist and give the venue an accurate headcount. A quick message
on email, WhatsApp, or Facebook is all it takes.

How do I find out about upcoming events?

A few great ways to stay in the loop:

Join my WhatsApp group for direct event announcements straight to your phone.
It is admin only posts so no chatter, no noise, just the good stuff.
Subscribe to the ExperienceSMA newsletter
Join the Facebook group for community conversation and event updates
Check the Events page on ExperienceSMA.com anytime

I have a question you did not answer!

I am always happy to help. Reach me by email, text, Facebook, or WhatsApp and I will get back to you as quickly as I can. No question is too small when it comes to making sure you have a wonderful time.

How is a venue selected?

We visit the venue and check out the food, service, vibe and viability for an event. If it checks all the boxes, we invite them to host an ExperienceSMA event.

Is there a charge?

The venue sets the price and receives all the revenue directly. We do not charge the venue nor receive any compensation. The host does get a complimentary meal during the event. We ask for a 50-100 peso donation that goes to rescue animals and to keep the website running.

Why host these events? Doesn't it take a lot of time?

It does take quite a bit of time and effort, but we enjoy hosting parties and contributing to the community in SMA. We get to help restaurants by bringing in new guests, we help people meet and we get to help through charity donations. It is a win for everyone.

Why do you ask if we are local or visitors?

Currently our guests are 60% local and 40% visitors to SMA. It helps us understand who to better serve our guests and the information is important to our venues.

How can I know about future events?

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Ready to pull up a chair?

Come hungry, come curious, come solo if you like. There is always room at my table and I cannot wait to introduce you to the SMA I know and love.

RSVP Q&A

We are committed to our guests and venues at ExperienceSMA . We want everyone to have a great time! Our chefs want to give you the best of what they offer in service, food and drink . Our FB following is over 3K d growing plus our website has over 25K visitors. Each event is capped at 10-30 guests to ensure quality and a good time. Our online RSVP system ensures the proper number of guests for each event and allows the restaurant to appropriately prepare for us. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions and answers.

Can I show up without an RSVP?

The restaurants decide the number of guests they can serve and tells us how many seats at the table are available for each Brunch Club or Supper Club gathering. You must RSVP on www.ExperienceSMA.com for each event you attend please.

Is there a charge?

I can’t remember which events I have RSVP'ed. How do I figure that out?

Check your email receipts and they list the event, day and time of each event you RSVPed

I RSVP'd on Facebook, is that good enough and does that count?

Currently our guests are 60% local and 40% visitors to SMA. It helps us understand who to better serve our guests and the information is important to our venues.

I cannot attend the event I have an RSVP to attend.

Let us know ASAP so we can let the venue know.

I am confused. How do I get help?

We are always available to help. Reach us on email, text, FB or WhatsApp. Thank you!