154th Feria de las Flores San Ángel, begins with the religious celebration to Nuestra Señora del Carmen in the Church of the former Convento del Carmen.
July 14-19, XVI Cabalgata Villista, (16th Annual Villista Horseback Ride) Chihuahua, Chihuahua. More than 1000 people take part in this horseback riding adventure which covers 136 miles from the City of Chihuahua to Hidalgo del Parral, to commemorate the legendary General Francisco “Pancho” Villa and the troops of the famous Northern Division, which toured the state of Chihuahua during the Mexican Revolution. This parade culminates in Hidalgo del Parral by dramatizing the death of Doroteo Arango better known as Pancho Villa. Entire families are welcome to participate. The first cavalcade took place in 1996 with less than five hundred riders. This year the Villista Cavalcade is expecting to host 1,200+ riders from all over the country as well as adventure seekers from several countries.
July 15-22, 154th Feria de las Flores San Ángel, México D.F. This festival features classical music concerts, art exhibitions and competitions of floral arrangements, along with great food and other activities. La Feria de las Flores is the only fair in the country created by presidential decree in 1856 when the then president, Ignacio Comonfort, ordered that it be held in July, as part of the festivities of the Virgen del Carmen. Over the years, this Flower Fair has been transformed into an eminently popular celebration, but it has not lost its essence, and is now one of the biggest cultural traditions in Mexico City.
Mid-July, Temporada Anual de la Liga Mexicana de Béisbol (Mexican League of Baseball), Mexico City. Enjoy seeing professional baseball clubs from around the country compete in Mexico City, at the Foro Sol Stadium, which has a capacity of up to 50,000. Mexico has a lot of fans of this sport, loyal to the national teams. These foreign teams have been hotbeds of big stars, some of who are currently engaged in Major League Baseball. Do not miss the season.
July 22-31, XIV El Festival de Expresión en Corto (14th Annual International Film Festival, Short Expression)–Guanajuato, Guanajuato. An annual film festival show casing short films and documentaries and awarding the creators of outstanding films with materials and equipment needed to continue their art. Over the course of 10 days, more than 400 films are screened from 10am until 4am in 21 venues, which include such unusual locations as: the Jardín Principal (main square) of San Miguel de Allende; the classical open-air staircase of the University of Guanajuato; the subterranean streets and tunnels beneath Guanajuato Capital (erotic and underground films are projected); as well as horror films that are screened in both municipal graveyards (panteónes). There are also screenings in more conventional spaces such as the Teatro Angela Peralta (SMA), Centro Cultural Ignacio Ramirez – El Nigromante (SMA), the Teatro Santa Ana (SMA), Galería Kunsthaus Santa Fe (SMA), the Auditorio del Estado (GTO) and the Teatro Principal (GTO). The international competition is the largest in Mexico, with films competing in a variety of categories that include: Short Fiction, Short Animation, Short Experimental, Short Documentary, Long Documentary and Mexican Feature Length Opera Prima (or feature length films by first-time Mexican directors). As well as an assortment of workshops, conferences, Women in Film and Television luncheons and National Tributes to both Mexican and International A-list filmmakers who are in attendance. For more info: Guanajuato Film Festival
July 25, Fiesta Anual de Santiago Apóstol (Saint Santiago’s Festival), Mexico City. This special religious day in Mexico City features fairground rides, music, dancing, food stalls and many religious services at the main churches, particularly around the southern side of the city.
July 25-Aug 1, Guelaguetza, Oaxaca, Oaxaca. Dating back to pre-Hispanic times when the festival was offered to the gods in hopes of a bountiful harvest, these offerings for life take place midway through the rainy reason. The Feast of Xiloen, goddess of corn, falls on July 16, and is the beginning of the two weeks of celebration. Overlooking the present city of Oaxaca is the hill known as Cerro del Fortín from the location of Aztec garrisons there in the fifteenth century. This ridge was a popular place for outings and came to be the traditional place for celebrating the Lunes del Cerro (Mondays on the Hill) when the Guelaguetza began to focus on the celebrations held on the two Mondays following the feast of the Virgin of Carmen on July 16. There is also the Bani Stui Gulal, a dramatic presentation of how the Guelaguetza has been celebrated in different epochs, plus the presentation of the Legend of Donaji on each of the Monday nights in the Guelaguetza Auditorium. The Legend of Donaji is the story of the last Zapotec princess, full of light, sound, fireworks and drama.
July 26 – August 7, XIX Feria Nacional del Sarape, (19th Annual National Sarape Fair) Santa Ana Chiautempan, Tlaxcala. The renowned rectangular sarape shawls are spotlighted every year at this annual fair and are one of Mexico’s traditional textile handicrafts. Different styles are produced in various regions of Mexico, with local culture influencing design. The festival also features other handicrafts, cultural and sporting events.
July 29, Festival por el Aniversario Luctuoso de Bach (Bach Festival), Mexico City. Every July 29th marks the anniversary of the death of German composer, Johann Sebastian Bach. Every year Mexico City organizes a one day festival of classical music in the Palacio de Bellas Artes. This is a major classical music event, featuring a collaboration of outstanding performers, among them internationally renowned pianists and cellists.
