by Jim Cline/ text and photos

The excitement began soon after I arrived in Oaxaca, as I was sitting at an outdoor table at a restaurant on the Zocalo, or main plaza.  I was waiting for my plate of chicken breast in mole sauce when I heard the sounds of music in the streets.  As the music drew closer I could hear people cheering.  Suddenly a band came around the corner and there were the dancers – the women’s brightly colored skirts were twirling in a blur of color and the men were waving their sombreros, the excited bystanders cheering them on.  I grabbed my camera and began taking photographs.  The crowd lining the sidewalks continued to grow and cheer louder as one after another the delegations passed by.  It was hard to decide if I should eat my delicious mole before it got cold, or continue taking photographs of the dancers.  

Just when I thought things were calming down, I heard one more group approaching.  The crowd became louder than ever before and everyone pushed to get closer to see the dancers.  I asked a spectator what the commotion was all about, and he told me excitedly, “it’s the Pineapple Girls!”  I came to find out the Pineapple Girls are the stars of the festival.  They come from Tuxtepec in the Papaloapan region – 20 very attractive young ladies dressed in the beautiful dresses from their region – they all dance in unison holding pineapples, and they certainly are the crowd favorites.        

I had come to Oaxaca to experience the famous Guelaguetza dance festival, which takes place every year in late July.  With its colonial architecture, bustling markets, colorful arts and crafts, and beautiful plazas with vibrant sidewalk cafes boasting delicious Oaxacan cuisine, Oaxaca is a terrific year-round destination for travelers.  But for two weeks every year, the city explodes with the color and excitement of the Guelaguetza dance festival, said to be the largest folklore festival in the Americas.

It is a celebration in which representatives from the many communities of Oaxaca come together and celebrate the diversity of their traditions and cultures. The state of Oaxaca is home to 16 different ethno-linguistic groups and is incredibly diverse. They gather wearing their traditional clothing and perform folk dances that are particular to their region.  

“Guelaguetza” originates from a word in the Zapotec language.  Its meaning is the act of contributing to a community celebration.  Like many Latin American festivals, the Guelaguetza evolved from a mix of indigenous and colonial influences.  The festival as it is celebrated today is a combination of pre-Hispanic celebrations of the corn goddess, Centeotl, and the Catholic feast day of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, which falls on July 16th. The festival connects indigenous traditions with the Catholic faith and in most years occurs on the following two Mondays after July 16th, the Day of Saint Carmen. 

  The city of Oaxaca celebrates the Fiestas del Lunes del Cerro (Festival of the Mondays on the Hill) during the whole month of July.  But the highlight of the festivities are the two Mondays when the Guelaguetza dance performances take place.  Dances range from solemn to cheerful expressions of local culture, with thousands of people cheering them on.  At the end of their dance performance, each delegation presents their own ‘guelaguetza’ to the audience by throwing small fruit, hats, and even coconuts and pineapples. The audience has to stay alert to catch the gifts and to avoid getting hit by the offerings. Since colonial times the Guelaguetza festival has been celebrated on the Fortin Hill in Oaxaca (Cerro del Fortin).  In the 1970s a special auditorium was built specifically for the celebrations, with seating for 11,000 people.  It was full for both performances I attended this year.   It is difficult to describe the beauty of the spectacle – the music, the color, the enthusiasm of the participants reflecting out into the audience.  Then after the afternoon show, fireworks were set off at nightfall with dancers from all of the delegations dancing and rejoicing on the stage.

  It all begins on Saturday, with the Parade of the Delegations, a parade through the streets of the city by the 16 delegations, one for each distinct indigenous group from the seven regions of Oaxaca.  They wind through the streets of the city, stopping continuously to dance to the music from their region played by a band which marches with them.  They all finish in a blaze of color, music and dance in the Zocalo, or main plaza of the city.  

Throughout the week there are numerous activities and shows, such as gastronomic and handicraft exhibitions, art shows, a Mezcal fair, concerts and other cultural events.  It was hard to decide which ones to attend, as it seemed everywhere there were celebrations of music and dance in the streets, many of which were unannounced.  On many evenings the activities culminated in fireworks over the city.  During the day I wandered through the streets of the downtown area and always found something interesting.  From street markets with some of the famous local crafts of Oaxaca – the black pottery from San Bartolo Coyotepoec, rugs from Teotitlan del Valle, alebrijes, the small animal figures carved from copal wood painted with psychedelic colors from villages such as Arrazola and San Martin Tilcajate, and so many more. 

The highlight of the week was definitely the Guelaguetza performances at the auditorium on the hill.  For more than 3 hours the 14 different delegations thrilled the standing-room only crowd with their colorful and exuberant dance performances.  When each group finished their show, to the audience’s delight the dancers would throw local products from their communities into the stands.  Everyone was cheering while trying to catch various fruit and other food – even small bottles of mescal wrapped in bubble-wrap.  And yes, the pineapple girls even threw their pineapples into the crowd!  

One afternoon I heard about a tamale festival going on, so I thought I’d go take a look.  It was happening at the Plaza de la Danza, the square next to Oaxaca’s church dedicated to the city’s patron saint, the Basilica de la Soledad.  I was expecting a few stalls with tamales, but found much more.  There were all kinds of arts and crafts, and later in the afternoon, more dancing started.  As I was walking through the stalls, a pretty girl offered me a free sample of the local Mezcal, a distilled liquor made from the agave plants that grow in the region.  It is similar to tequila, which is made only from the blue agave which is grown in the stare of Jalisco.  Finding it difficult to turn her down, I sampled a few different varieties of mescal.  I liked the reposado, or rested, style the best.  The añejo, or aged was also quite good.  I couldn’t leave without purchasing a small bottle.

 Smaller Guelaguetzas are also performed in several surrounding villages, and I ventured out to see one of these dance performances in the town of Mitla, about an hour outside of the city.  Mitla is famous for its ancient Zapotec temples with unique mosaic patterns carved in stone, and great shopping for many local arts and crafts from the surrounding villages.  Much of the mescal in the region is produced near here, and there are countless shops selling numerous brands.  On the way to Mitla, my driver brought me to weaving village of Teotitlan del Valle.  I had heard this is where the finest rugs are produced in Mexico, and I was not disappointed.  We visited two different homes where the entire families are involved in producing the natural dyes and weaving the beautiful rugs.

On my last day, I visited the largest and most impressive of the Zapotec sites, the ancient capitol of Monte Alban.  It’s one of the most impressive ancient sites in Mexico with the most spectacular 360-degree views from its hilltop location.  Its construction began in about 500 B.C. and reached its peak from 300 – 700 A.D, when the hill and the surrounding area was home to about 25,000 inhabitants.  What a great way to end my trip – after all of the excitement of the music, dancing and excited crowds – sitting in silence on the steps of an ancient Zapotec temple, watching the sun setting into the clouds on the horizon.   

The Guelaguetza takes place on the two Mondays following July 16, except in years when Monday falls on July 18, the anniversary of Benito Juarez’ death. Guelaguetza then happens on July 25 and August 1.  There are two shows on each Monday – at 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., which last over 3 hours each.  Advance tickets are available through Ticketmaster www.ticketmaster.com.mx .  Also some hotels sell tickets, and about half of the seats (in the upper sections) are free, but you must arrive almost 2 hours early to find a seat in these sections.  For the early show you will be sitting for close to 4 hours without shelter from the mid-day sun, so take necessary precautions.  Vendors are everywhere selling wide-brimmed hats for just a few dollars.