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Events in Mexico: November
November is a busy month in Mexico: Day of the Dead is celebrated nation-wide and is especially big in Oaxaca -- Book Early if you plan to travel there November 1 and 2. The Parties of the Sea take place in Puerto Vallarta; there's a big fishing tournament in Zihuatanejo, and Novermber 20 is Mexico's Dia de la Revolucion (Revolution Day): a national holiday...
Details of some of the events listed are supplied by Mexico's States via the Mexico Tourism Board.
Dates of some of the events are subject to change. Please check website links (where available) for details and/or check locally for any schedule alterations.
Choose Event Start Dates of Interest
NOV 1-DEC 18: XI Mazatlan Cultural Festival (XI Festival Cultural de Mazatlan) -- Mazatlan, Sinaloa
A cultural celebration featuring theater, dance, film, literature and concerts throughout the month in the historic downtown area (Centro Historico) with many of the events taking place in the open air as well as in the Angela Peralta Theater.
NOV 1-2: Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos) -- Nationwide
This event encompasses 2 days: All Saint's Day, and All Souls day. The former honors all saints and people who died as children and the latter honor the souls of those who died in adulthood. If you are in Mexico around this time, expect to see sugar-candy skulls, skeletons and Pan de Muerto (Bread of the Dead) advertised at shops and supermarkets - they are a traditional sight in Mexico at this time of year. Relatives of those who died gather at cemeteries throughout Mexico, bringing bread, fruit and their decorated sugar skulls, along with candles and the favorite food of the people they are remembering to celebrate the lives of those passed on, and remember their loved loves. The mood is far from morbid: it is lively, upbeat - almost like an Irish wake - and is intended to be a celebration of life, not a morbid occasion!
NOV 10 - End of NOV: Fiestas de Mar (Parties of the Sea) -- Puerto Vallarta
This is Puerto Vallarta's biggest party event on the annual calendar and includes a sailing regatta and the Governor's Golf Tournament. You can Discover Puerto Vallarta and its November Parties with Mexperience.
Mid November* Maestros del Arte Annual Folk Art Fair, Ajijic (near Guadalajara)
Maestros del Arte artisans fair is a three-day event held in one of the most beautiful villages in Mexico. Hand-picked Master Artists travel from all over the country to bring buyers and collectors an astonishing variety of exceptional folk art. Many of the artists are featured in the acclaimed book Great Masters of Mexican Folk Art and represent families that have practiced their art for generations; others are inspired craftsmen yet to be discovered.
All are masters of their medium—clay, paper, fabric, paint, wood, stone, silver, alpaca, or other traditional material. Not just another art fair, Maestros del Arte is completely nonprofit. Organized by an army of volunteers, artists pay no fee or percentage of sales. They are housed with local families, fed two meals a day, and assisted with transportation, if needed. Their participation in the fair is a unique community event. Every year, extraordinary cross-cultural bonds are forged between families of diverse backgrounds. For many artists, it is their first contact with the outside world.
*Annual dates may vary -- check the website link for this year's fair details.
NOV 12-13: Annual Harley Davidson Rocky Point Rally (Rally de Motociclismo) -- Puerto Peñasco, Sonora
Annual Hog get-together featuring scenic rides, charity events, beach parties, live music and plenty of engines revving up.
NOV 12-16: XVII International Musical Festival of Morelia (XVII Festival Internacional de Musica de Morelia Miguel Bernal Jimenez) -- Morelia, Michoacan
Created in 1989 and named after Mexico?s famous composer Miguel Bernal Jimenez, this annual festival features performances by musicians from all over the world and takes place at beautiful settings throughout Morelia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
NOV 14-17: Tag and Release Fishing Tournament -- Ixtapa / Zihuatanejo, Guerrero
International tournament that permits the observation and preservation of a variety of species in the Pacific.
NOV 20: Mexican Revolution Day (Dia de la Revolucion Mexicana) -- Nationwide
A major national holiday, which commemorates the end of the revolution in 1910. The day is marked with some Fiestas Patrias (festive parties - but nowhere near as loud or prominent as Independence Day celebrations in September), a big parade in Mexico City's Zocalo, speeches and a few official ceremonies.
NOV 22-30: International Sailfish Tournament (Torneo Internacional de Pesca de Pez Vela) -- Manzanillo, Colima
Since 1957, Manzanillo has been referred to as the sailfishing capital of the world due to the large number of sailfish caught in its waters. Manzanillo?s Sport Fishing Club will be sponsoring this event.
NOV 26 - DEC 4: XVIV International Book Fair in Guadalajara (XVIIV Feria Internacional del Libro, or FIL) -- Guadalajara, Jalisco
Created nearly two decades ago by the University of Guadalajara, the FIL is an eclectic celebration of literature, art and culture, representing the second largest book fair in the world and, by far, the largest and most diverse international offering of publications in the Spanish language. Throughout the nine-day event, writers, scholars, artists, and literary connoisseurs from all walks of life fill the halls of the Guadalajara Expo Center and submerge themselves in the best that the literary world has to offer.
NOV 30-DEC 4: International Golf Tournament -- Mazatlan, Sinaloa
The Golf Committee of the El Code Golf & Country Club hosts this annual amateur golf tournament with categories for adults, seniors, women, etc. Prizes will include cars, cash and much more.
NOV-MAR: Monarch Butterfly Sanctuaries (Santuarios de la Mariposa Monarca) -- several areas in Michoacan State
Every year, millions of Monarch butterflies migrate from Canada and the U.S. to the Oyamel forests near Angangueo, Michoacan in the fall, hibernating for winter and mating in the spring. Two sanctuaries are open to the public.