In addition to the 2025 calendar of major holidays and events published in last week’s Guadalajara Reporter, dozens of traditional religious celebrations and annual community happenings will take place in the Lake Chapala region over the next 12 months.
They generally occur in multiple locations unless otherwise specified. The listing includes the Fiestas Patronales dedicated to the spiritual patrons of lakeside communities, as well as notable neighborhood festivities. Dates marked marked with an asterisk * indicate moveable feasts or events that change from year to year.
January 1: Año Nuevo (New Year’s Day), traditional parade in Ajijic.
January 6: Día de Reyes (Three Kings Day, Epiphany); Fiesta de San Gaspar in Ajijic.
January 6-19: *Fiestas Patronales Jocotepec, Señor del Monte (Lord of the Mount).
January 17: Fiesta de San Antonio Abad (St. Anthony the Abbot), traditional blessing of farm animals.
January 18-19: *Festival del Café, Chocolate y Vino (Coffee, Chocolate and Wine Fest) at Ajijic Malecón.
January 20: Fiesta de San Sebastián (St. Sebastian Martyr) in Ajijic.
February 2: Día de la Candelaria (Candlemas), concludes Christmas Season; blessing of candles, infants and Baby Jesus figures; tamales feasts.
February 2: Día Estatal del Lago (Lake Chapala Day), World Wetlands Day.
February 16-March 4: *Carnaval (Mardi Gras) festivities in Ajijic.
February 27-March 4: *Carnaval (Mardi Gras) festivities in Chapala, dates to be confirmed.
February 9-11: Fiestas Nuestra Señora de Lourdes (Our Lady of Lourdes) in Chapala.
April 5: *Feria de la Capirotada, Lenten season bread pudding fair in Ajijic.
April 11: *Viernes de Dolores, altar displays devoted to Our Lady of Sorrows, last Friday of Lent.
April 13: *Domingo de Ramos (Palm Sunday), street processions reenact Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem.
April 13-19: *Semana Santa (Holy Week); Passion Plays staged in Ajijic and San Antonio Tlayacapan.
April 26-May 4: *Fiestas Señor del Guaje (Our Lord of the Guaje) in Jocotepec.
April 25-May 3: Fiestas Patronales Santa Cruz de la Soledad (Holy Cross).
May 3: Día de la Santa Cruz (Day of the Holy Cross), processions, altar displays, construction site parties.
May 10: Día de la Madres (Mexico Mother’s Day).
June 1: Día de la Marina (Mexico’s Navy Day), commemoration in Chapala.
June 5-13: Fiestas Patronales San Antonio Tlayacapan, (San Antonio de Padua).
June 16-24: Fiestas Patronales San Juan Cosalá & San Juan Tecomatlán (St. John the Baptist).
June 25-27: *Fiestas del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús (Sacred Heart of Jesus), in La Canacinta, Ajijic.
July 13-14: *Virgen de Zapopan pilgrimage to Chapala, arrives second Sunday of July.
July 8-16: Fiestas de Nuestra Señora del Carmen (Our Lady of Mount Carmel) in Chapala.
July 17-25: Fiestas Patronales Ixtlahuacan de los Membrillos, Santo Santiago (St. James Apostle)
August 7-15: Fiestas Patronales Mezcala, Virgen de la Asunción (Virgin of the Assumption).
August 8-9: Expo Membrillo Atotonilquillo. (Quince Fair).
September 13: *Regata de Globos, paper hot air balloon exhibition in Ajijic.
September 15-16: Grito ceremonies; Día de Independencia civic parades.
September 26-October 4: Fiestas Patronales Chapala San Francisco de Asís (St. Francis of Assisi).
September 29: Fiesta San Miguel Arcángel (St. Michael Archangel) in Ajijic
October 1-31: Mes de la Virgen del Rosario (Our Lady of the Rosary) all month in Ajijic.
October 12: Fiesta Nuestra Señora del Pilar (Our Lady of the Pillar), in Riberas del Pilar.
October 28: Fiesta San Judas Tadeo (St. Jude Apostle).
November 1-2: Fiestas Todos los Santos y Los Fieles Difuntos (All Saints and All Souls days), altar displays, cemetery visits and cultural events.
November 7-9: *Feria Maestros del Arte (Master Artisans fair), location to be confirmed.
November 15: Conmemoración de La Revolución Mexicana (Mexican Revolution Anniversary), civic parades on various dates.
November 21-30: Fiestas Patronales Ajijic (St. Andrew Apostle).
November 23: *Fiesta Cristo Rey Chapala (Christ the King), last Sunday before Advent.
November 25: Heroica Defensa de la Isla de Mezcala (Commemoration Defense of Mezcala Island, 1812-1816).
November 28-December 6: Fiestas Patronales San Nicolás de Ibarra (San Nicholas of Bari).
December 4-12: Fiestas Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe (Virgin of Guadalupe), street processions, altar displays, public festivities); Fiestas Patronales Atotonilquillo.
December 16-24: Posadas Navideñas (pre-Christmas celebrations), children’s street processions and holiday parties.
December 31: Noche de Fin de Año (New Year’s Eve).
REMEMBER:
January 1, February 3, March 17, May 1, September 15, November 17 and December 25 are national statutory holidays. Salaried workers are granted a day off with regular pay, or owed triple their daily wages if they work on these dates.