The Fiestas de Octubre begins this weekend and if you’ve been to a state fair in the United States, you’ll know roughly what to expect, although this city’s version has a distinctly Mexican flavor.
Guadalajara’s annual month-long fair grinds into life on Saturday, October 2 at its traditional site, the Benito Juarez Auditorium complex on the northern Periferico (intersection with Av. Alcalde).
Open daily through Sunday, November 2, the fair serves up nightly entertainment (mainly popular Mexican bands), mechanical and children’s games, themed pavilions, special children’s shows, and dozens of food and vendors’ booths. There are also gut-wrenching late-night cockfights in the palenque arena, featuring top singing acts around midnight.
The entry fee to the fiestas is 30 pesos for adults and 15 for children. Gates open at midday. The free concerts begin around 7 p.m. each evening.
The fiestas’ opening parade takes place on Sunday, October 2, 10 a.m. There will be dozens of creative floats, marching bands, clowns and acrobats. Because of work on the metro area’s third subway in the city center, the route will run along Avenida Chapultepec, starting at the Niños Heroes Glorieta.