Festivals & Events

Excerpted from "The Best of San Miguel de Allende"© by Joseph Harmes. Reprinted with permission. See more at www.thebestofsanmigueldeallende.com 


June 23: Birthday of Ignacio Ramírez "El Nigromante," easily the greatest intellectual San Miguel de Allende ever produced (born 1818 on Umarán 28).
 

His nickname roughly translates as the "Magician" or "Sorcerer." He assisted Mexico's Constitutional Convention of 1856, served on the nation's Supreme Court and composed plays and poetry. A liberal and atheist, he abhorred corrupt politicians and religious hypocrisy.

June 24: Natividad de San Juan Bautista (birthday of St. John the Baptist). A vigil for the cousin of Jesus (who also baptized Him in the River Jordan) begins the previous night at El Oratorio de San Felipe Neri. He was beheaded at the request of Salome, the daughter of Herodias. His head was brought to her on a platter. The feast observing his decapitation is August 29. One of the town's patron saints. 

June 26: The anniversary of the death of Gen. Ignacio Allende y Unzaga at the hands of a firing squad in Chihuahua City in 1811. His head was taken to Guanajuato, where it was placed in a cage and displayed with others for 10 years at the Alhóndiga de Granaditas (The Corn Palace).

June 27: Festividad de la Virgen del Perpetuo Socorro (Feast of Our Lady of Perpetual Succor). The painting-(M)reproduced by the thousands and sold in shops throughout town-(M)originated in the 13th century. Byzantine in style, the paint was applied to wood with a vivid background of gold surrounding the Mother of God, who holds the Christ Child while the Archangels Michael and Gabriel present before him the instruments of His passion. Their names are abbreviated in Greek letters. The celebration begins nine days earlier with prayers and fireworks.

Early July: The traditional pilgrimage honoring El Señor de la Columna leaves El Templo de San Juan de Dios in the early morning and arrives at the Santuario in Atotonilco around noon.