The stage is all set for the largest festival in Latin America, Feria Nacional de San Marcos.
It takes place April 13-May 5 in the Mexican state of Aguascaliente. The diverse bill of performers includes Sting, Christina Aguilera, Enrique Iglesias, Dutch DJ, Don Diablo, the sounds of 80’s pop band Toto, Mexican pop star Belanova, reguetón artists Wisin, banda-pop musicians Alicia Villareal, La Original Banda Limón, Conjunto Primavera, Invasores and Cardenales de Nuevo León and Spanish artists Alejandro Sanz, Carlos Baute and Plácido Domingo.
The Feria Nacional de San Marcos fills the streets of Aguascalientes’ Centro Historico with millions of tourists from all over Latin America as the city comes alive with concerts, bullfighting, art exhibitions, and charreadas. More than 1,500 events take place at the festival each year, and most of them are free to attend, including concerts, theater performances, sporting events, culinary competitions, fashion shows and rides. It is a celebration is a unique festival filled with traditions, history and rich content.
During the weeks that the festival is in town, several businesses close and it’s treated like a local/national holiday. So important is the Feria to Aguascalientes that the city operates Mexico’s only “walk-in casino” during festival time, made legal by a special permit. This allows the casino to operate for a fixed and limited time each year, exclusively for the fair and offers people ages 18 and over to try their luck at roulette, Blackjack, Poker, and other casino games.
One of the main venues for the festival is Isla San Marcos, a 108-acre area in the city designed exclusively for entertainment. Manicured walking paths, wind their way around a pond, at the center of which is a towering statue of La Catrina, as well as one of the largest mechanical clocks in Latin America. This area is home to the Livestock Exhibition, which is an integral part of the Feria San Marcos. Visitors will also find restaurants, amusement rides, shopping, and a zip line course all at the Isla San Marcos.
Charreada competitions are held at the San Marcos Arena, which is also part of Isla San Marcos. Charreria is a national sport in Mexico and the competitions in Aguascalientes during the Feria draw more than 12,000 spectators to the arena.
Today’s Feria de San Marcos is very much still rooted in the historic traditions of the early days of its inception. The very first Feria was held in 1828 in the neighborhood of San Marcos, just a few blocks from the capital city’s Zocalo, or main square. By the end of the 19th century, the Mexican Central Railway had made Aguascalientes an important transfer hub. Because of this, news of the Feria spread far and wide.
The event’s website is: feriasanmarcos.org.