Events

January/February

ART FESTIVAL

Typically, the festival is held at the end of January or the beginning of February. Beginning on a Saturday and ending the following Saturday. Funded primarily by the government, the Art Festival brings folk dancing, music and theatre performance to Todos Santos. Guest speakers come to host conferences (including video) concerned with turtle conservation, fragile environments, fighting drug addiction and domestic violence, family relations, poetry appreciation, and Baja history. There are workshops teaching latin music and folk dancing. There are recitals featuring piano and poetry. Local art galleries sometimes plan their new exhibits to coincide with the Art Festival.

February/March

MARDI GRAS IN LA PAZ

Street parades, dancing, a carnival and colorful festivities.

THE HISTORIC HOME TOUR

The annual Historic Home Tour takes place in February. Check online for this year’s date. Houses are chosen for their historic value as well as their lore and the interesting families that inhabit them. The tour begins at the Cultural Center, located in the heart of the historic district. The number of homes and buildings on tour varies every year. All proceeds from the event benefit the children’s education and healthcare programs of The Palapa Society of Todos Santos, A. C. as well as the Bomberos (fire and rescue) of Todos Santos.

REGGAE FESTIVAL

The Baja Sur Reggae Festival is one of the biggest international cultural event in Baja Sur. The first four editions, beginning in 2003, took place at the San Pedrito R.V. Park at Km 59 off the Pescadero-Todos Santos main road in February or March. In 2008 the venue and dates changed and the concert was held on June 21^st (summer solstice) at Los Cerritos Beach Club.

FILM FESTIVAL

An emerging Mexican version of the Sundance, the film festival is typically held the first week of March (check online for the official dates). The Festival was founded by Sylvia Perel, director of the International Latino Film Festival, in collaboration with a group of Todos Santos residents in 2004. The Festival brings to Todos Santos a variety of choice Latino films with artistic and educational merit celebrating both the local and national film culture. The TSFF for the past six years has offered a selection of the best, most recent films in fictions, documentaries, and shorts from Latin America with an emphasis of those from Mexican and Baja Californian artists and directors involved.

April

SEMANA SANTA

Semana Santa is the holy week that ends the 40-day Lent period. This week includes Good Friday and Easter Sunday. It is Mexican custom to break confetti-filled eggs over the heads of friends and family. The church on the plaza will hold a special outdoor service Friday evening, usually with fireworks at the end.

September

INDEPENDENCE DAY

September 16^th is a patriotic holiday. Mexican Independence Day celebrates the day that Miguel Hidalgo delivered El Grito de Dolores, and announced the Mexican revolt against Spanish rule. Mexico celebrates its independence from Spain. Expect fireworks, parades and celebrations on the streets starting the night before.

October

NUESTRA SEÑORA DEL PILAR

October 12 is the date of the festival of Nuestra Señora del Pilar, the patron saint of Todos Santos. This date is celebrated as the founding of the town of Todos Santos. There are usually activities, including a fair and live music in the plaza, most of the week of the 12th. There is dancing to live music in the evenings on the zocalo, and lots of food and drink. This is a very Baja Mexico celebration, with plenty of dancing and music and beer.

November

ALL SAINTS

November 1, All Saints Day, and November 2, All Souls Day are marked throughout Mexico by a plethora of intriguing customs that vary widely according to the ethnic roots of each region. Common to all, however, are colorful adornments and lively reunions at family burial plots, the preparation of special foods, offerings laid out for the departed on commemorative altars and religious rites that are likely to include noisy fireworks.

BAJA 1000

Baja 1000 is an off-road race that takes place on Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula in November. The event includes various types of vehicle classes such as small and large bore motorcycles, stock VW, production vehicles, buggies, trucks, and custom fabricated race vehicles. The course has remained relatively the same over the years with the majority of events being either a point to point race from Ensenada to Cabo san Lucas. The name of the event is misleading as the mileage varies for the type of event (loop or point to point) and has represented Kilometers in the past.

Possibly Related Posts:

• Event – Todos Santos International Guitar Festival – November 27 – 29, 2015
• Event – Todos Santos Music Festival – January 14 – 16, 20 – 23, 2016
• Event – 4th Annual Gastrovino Food and Wine Festival – April 24 – 26, 2015
• Event – 12th Annual Todos Santos Film Festival – March 12-22, 2015
• Activities Index