Covid-19 is striking another blow to the Chapala area’s most cherished cultural happenings. The annual Fiesta Purépecha, normally held in Ajijic around mid-December, has been cancelled.
The news was announced this week by photography artist Xill Fessenden, founder and coordinator of the fair that brings artisans and dance troupes from Michoacán to town for a weekend of craft exhibitions and colorful entertainment. She wrote on Facebook that the event has been called off because of “health concerns due to Covid-19 and for the safety of the invited towns.”
The fiesta is noted for its sale displays of hand-made textiles, baskets, straw and wood goods, copperware, and varied types of pottery produced in Michoacán villages and highly prized by local shoppers.