Who doesn't like freebies? I do, and that's why this is one of my favourite holidays in Oaxaca…read more I know it's not the most important part of the holiday but it makes it quite exciting. So the basic story is that on the fourth Friday of lent people recreate a bible passage in which a Samaritan woman gave Jesus water from a well. So now every year there's people lineups waiting to get a glass of free "agua", which is not the same as a jugo (agua is somewhat of a watered down juice mixed with sugar or syrup). The beauty of this is the people don't deny the glass of water to anyone and the tables where the water jugs are, tend to be decorated with flowers to make it look like a well like in the bible.

When making the long climb to this auditorium I truly did not know what to expect. The climb itself…read morewas such a cool experience, with steep never-ending stairs and a variety of local vendors along the way. Once at the top or entrance, we were guided by the ushers very quickly and were spilt into lines for the specific palcos, or sections, then we were divided in e-tickets versus paper tickets. Once inside the seating is numbered. The seats aren't very comfortable and once inside your aisle is not the easiest to get in and out. However, the large auditorium was well organized and easy to navigate. We really enjoyed the show we saw, Donjai La Leyenda (July 2026). The show had beautiful dances and pyrotechnics (that felt a little scary, we were 3rd row center). The audio (Narration) wasn't very clear. But the music was. My one tip would be if you have ambulatory issues to take a cab and really pay attention as to where they dropped you off. We had people in our group who arrived in a car but then couldn't figure out how to get back there and when all the people are exiting the auditorium it is very difficult to go in the opposite direction of the crowd.

A beautiful spot with good views of the city, but be careful hiking around there alone. Numerous…read moremuggings occur in the area, and it is under patrolled by police. A person staying in the B&B I'm in was mugged at knife point by 2 people in id day, taking his watch, call phone and the little cash he was carrying.

I've visited Oaxaca twice for Dia de Muertos and I can't imagine a better place to participate in…read morethe festivities. The city is positively hopping with vendors and parades and the decorations and ofrendas are amazing! We usually go to the Pantheon General on the night of Nov. 1, where the locals are celebrating the lives of their dearly departed. Outside the Pantheon, it's very similar to a carnival/street fair atmosphere you'd experience in the states. All manner of bright lights and street food available. It's definitely a strange juxtaposition to the relatively somber, yet festive atmosphere inside the cemetery. The arcade walls are lit with votive candles and it's just beautiful. The city of Oaxaca is beautiful, no matter what, but during DDM, it's so wonderfully colorful and it's such a special atmosphere to in which to participate and experience.

If you come to Oaxaca for holidays, you can't miss the Noche de Rabanos. It's an annual event…read morededicated to the carving of oversized radishes that has been celebrated since the late 1800's on Dec. 23. Back in the day farmers would carve the radishes (which were introduced by the Spanish) as a way to attract customers attention during the Christmas market which as you may guess happened on Dec. 23. Over the years, the farmers/artists need more & more space to display their creations, and are not only limited to radishes, but now there's also pieces of art made with corn husks & dried flowers. Believe me, you might feel a bit anxious by looking at the endless line up, considering it's only available for a few hours (after all we're dealing with fresh produce), but it's worth it, you can't miss this event! In case you were wondering what happens to the radishes after the event? sadly they have to be thrown away, since they use chemicals to make them grow to a supersize, they can't be eaten or used for compost (unless you want inorganic compost that will kill your plants)