The ''Feria Nacional de San Marcos'' (San Marcos Fair) is a national

fair A fair (archaic: faire or fayre) is a gathering of people for a variety of entertainment or commercial activities. Fairs are typically temporary with scheduled times lasting from an afternoon to several weeks. Types Variations of fairs incl ...

held in the

Mexican Mexican may refer to: Mexico and its culture *Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America ** People *** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants *** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...

state of

Aguascalientes Aguascalientes (; ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Aguascalientes ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Aguascalientes), is one of the 32 states which comprise the Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. At 22°N and ...

every year for three (or sometimes four) weeks. Most of the events related to the fair, however, occur in the city of

, the state capital. The exact date of the fair varies every year but is set around April 25, the

Feast Day The calendar of saints is the traditional Christian method of organizing a liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints and referring to the day as the feast day or feast of said saint. The word "feast" in this context d ...

San Marcos San Marcos is the Spanish name of Saint Mark. It may also refer to: Towns and cities Argentina * San Marcos, Salta Colombia * San Marcos, Antioquia * San Marcos, Sucre Costa Rica * San Marcos, Costa Rica (aka San Marcos de Tarrazú) ...

. Initially the fair was tied to the '' vendimia'' (harvesting of grapes) since wine production used to be an important activity in Aguascalientes. Nowadays, it is an important tourist attraction that is heavily associated with

bullfighting Bullfighting is a physical contest that involves a bullfighter attempting to subdue, immobilize, or kill a bull, usually according to a set of rules, guidelines, or cultural expectations. There are several variations, including some forms wh ...

and cockfighting. It is estimated that seven million people visit the fair every year and as a consequence hotels are usually filled to capacity, however some locals rent out their houses to visitors and go on vacation during this time.

Activities

The San Marcos National Fair is organized by an independent foundation that oversees the governance of what happens at the fair, but is supported by the state and city governments of Aguascalientes. The fair is host to a large range of activities, of which bullfighting and cockfighting are the most popular. Usually a concert is given by a prominent Mexican singer after a series of cockfights; this event tends to draw more attention than the fights themselves. Located in the main fair venue are an assortment of sponsored stands and mechanical games, as well as stages where various concerts and theater plays are performed. The livestock fair and the '' charreadas'' still remain an important part of the celebration. Parties where traditional Mexican music is played (''tamboras'') are also celebrated on the streets of Aguascalientes. Finally, a

casino A casino is a facility for certain types of gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos are also known for hosting live entertai ...

is licensed in downtown Aguascalientes just for the occasion. Concerts, art exhibits and other cultural events complement the fair in many locations around the state. The award ceremony of the National Award for Youth Art occurs in Aguascalientes during this time as well.

History

The fair was celebrated for the first time around

harvest Harvesting is the process of gathering a ripe crop from the fields. Reaping is the cutting of grain or pulse for harvest, typically using a scythe, sickle, or reaper. On smaller farms with minimal mechanization, harvesting is the most labor-i ...

time from November 5 to November 20, 1828, as a showcase of the state's produce and livestock. During that time it was in direct competition with the fairs of

Acapulco Acapulco de Juárez (), commonly called Acapulco ( , also , nah, Acapolco), is a city and major seaport in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, south of Mexico City. Acapulco is located on a deep, semicircular bay and has bee ...

Jalapa Xalapa or Jalapa (, ), officially Xalapa-Enríquez (), is the capital city of the Mexican state of Veracruz and the name of the surrounding municipality. In the 2005 census the city reported a population of 387,879 and the municipality of which ...

and San Juan de los Lagos. The celebrations centered in the ''Parián'', a market in the city of Aguascalientes, until 1848. In 1842 the outside

balustrade A baluster is an upright support, often a vertical moulded shaft, square, or lathe-turned form found in stairways, parapets, and other architectural features. In furniture construction it is known as a spindle. Common materials used in its con ...

of San Marcos Park was built in a plot of land donated by the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

. The balustrade is of Neoclassical style and is still preserved to this day. Once San Marcos Park was completed the date of celebration was changed to April to coincide with the festivities in honor the patron saint San Marcos (

Saint Mark Mark the Evangelist ( la, Marcus; grc-gre, Μᾶρκος, Mârkos; arc, ܡܪܩܘܣ, translit=Marqōs; Ge'ez: ማርቆስ; ), also known as Saint Mark, is the person who is traditionally ascribed to be the author of the Gospel of Mark. Accor ...

). Construction of the San Marcos Plaza

bullring A bullring is an arena where bullfighting is performed. Bullrings are often associated with the Iberian Peninsula, but they can also be found through Iberian America and in a few Spanish and Portuguese ex-colonies in Africa. Bullrings are o ...

started in 1896 and was completed in only 48 days. From that date bullfighting was included in the festivities. It was not until 1992 that the much larger Monumental Plaza de San Marcos was built, with a

seating capacity Seating capacity is the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, in terms of both the physical space available, and limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that ...

of fifteen thousand people. Since 1924 the winner of the

beauty pageant A beauty pageant is a competition that has traditionally focused on judging and ranking the physical attributes of the contestants. Pageants have now evolved to include inner beauty, with criteria covering judging of personality, intelligence, ...

has been crowned "Queen of the Fair". In 2006, after some electoral controversy, three queens were appointed. In 1958 the fair was elevated to the rank of "National" by

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

Adolfo López Mateos. On April 26, 2009, the fair was canceled due to the pandemic flu virus that was affecting certain areas of Mexico. This was the first time in 181 fairs that the festivities had been canceled. On July 2, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was cancelled for the second time in its history, and five months later, on January 21, 2021, it was announced that the fair would be canceled for the second year in a row.

References

External links

Radio y Televisión de Aguascalientes
- Official WebSite, in Spanish.
Feria Nacional de San Marcos
- Official WebSite, in Spanish.
Gobierno del Estado de Aguascalientes
- Government WebSite of Aguascalientes, in Spanish. {{authority control Tourist attractions in Aguascalientes Fairs in Mexico Entertainment events in Mexico Wine festivals Food and drink festivals in Mexico Annual events in Mexico Festivals established in 1828 Spring (season) events in Mexico