TEN DAYS OF CATHOLIC FIESTA!
The Catholic Church holds a ten day Fiesta to honor the churches patron saint Andrew.
November 21st through the 30th is one big party.
Parades, Marching Bands, Carnival rides, Live music nightly on a stage built in the town square, feathered native dancers, and a massive fireworks display in the Catholic Church courtyard. Ten nights of massive fireworks. Ten nights of everything! Ten mornings of wakeup fireworks before 6:30am. (some explosions lasting over 30min.)
PARADES
MARCHING BANDS
NATIVE DANCERS
CARNIVAL
The Carnival reminds me of our County Fair growing up, just jammed into tiny cobblestone streets packed with vendors hawking everything from candy to Pots and Pans.
LIVE MUSIC
This stage with speakers large enough and LOUD ENOUGH for several thousand people is jammed right up a few feet from the main sidewalk through the town square. The square was packed with dancing crowds and drinking celebrating bodies nightly.
FIREWORKS
It's impossible to overemphasize the staggering scale of the ten nights of fireworks. Every night sponsored by a different group, built by different people, some are professional explosive companies hired to 'wow the crowd.' One night the tower shot sparks way back over and into the crowd. (it would NEVER pass an OSHA inspection) Every night they built a tower, a CASTILLO. ("A Castillo: is a tall, intricate, hand-built wooden or metal structure covered in fireworks, central to celebrations for patron saints and Independence Day. Fireworks are a main staple of Mexican religious festivals, especially those for patron saints. However, the main occasion for fireworks use are the celebrations surrounding Mexican Independence, which begins with the reenactment of Father Hidalgo's cry against the Spanish at 11pm on September 15, 1810.")
A crew of several people work all day to build the Castillo
and then at 'exactly' 10pm they light it.
It was an incredible show every night. Each one different and special. I can see why the Mexican's have so many Fiestas. It's because they can!
Viva Mexico! - Solo Gringo Skip
