Guelaguetza

Guelaguetza is a Zapotec word for reciprocal giving - the obligation to help at a neighbour's wedding or harvest knowing the help returns - and Oaxaca's biggest festival takes the name literally. On the two Mondays following July 16, delegations from the state's eight regions fill the hillside auditorium on Cerro del Fortin in full regional dress: the Flor de Piña dancers of Tuxtepec balancing pineapples, the feathered Danza de la Pluma from the valley, Juchitan's Isthmus women in gold-chained velvet, Pinotepa's coastal chilenas, the Sierra's brass-driven sones - each closing by hurling their region's produce into the audience, from bread and mezcal to pineapples that spectators catch or duck. Around the two performances the city runs a fortnight of festival: mezcal and food fairs, the Bani Stui Gulal historical pageant, the Donaji legend staged, church-atrium dances, and neighbourhood versions in Zaachila, Tlacolula and beyond. Prices and crowds peak; the city gives itself over completely. It is the single best week to understand how many Oaxacas there are.

What you actually see

• The eight delegations - regional dress, dance and music in sequence.
• The throwing - harvests hurled into the crowd at each finale.
• The Fortin auditorium - the hillside stage above the city.
• The fortnight around it - fairs, pageants and village versions.

When to go

The two Mondays after July 16, with performances morning and afternoon; arrive in the city days earlier for the surrounding programme and to secure tickets.

Honest expectations

Main-auditorium tickets sell out early and resell dearly; free upper sections require queuing at dawn. July is rainy season - the show runs regardless, ponchos included. Hotel rates double for the fortnight.

Nearby

Village Guelaguetzas in Zaachila, Tlacolula and the Sierra run their own versions with a fraction of the crowd.