June 24: Feast of Saint John the Baptist, Dances and the Purépecha Heart

On June 24, the Pátzcuaro region and the Purépecha Plateau celebrate Saint John the Baptist. This celebration, which coincides with the summer solstice, has a dual meaning: it is the official welcome to the rainy season and a showcase of the traditional dances that define Michoacán's culture.

The festival is a vibrant journey through oral tradition and indigenous pride. While the dances and ceremonies extend throughout the region, two locations near Pátzcuaro stand out for their authenticity:

Santa Fe de la Laguna: Music, Fairs and Historical Pride

Very close to Pátzcuaro, this community, considered one of the “hospital-cities” founded by Don Vasco de Quiroga, becomes a center of pilgrimage and celebration.

• Fair and Music: The plaza fills with a traditional fair that accompanies the competitions of popular music, classical music and Purépecha songs, where local musicians demonstrate their virtuosity.

• Dance of the Moors: The Dance of the Moors is the protagonist, a representation that narrates the struggles between Moors and Christians, but which in the local adaptation incorporates dramatic elements of Purépecha syncretism.

The Extension of Culture: Uruapan

The cultural impact of the plateau is felt as far as Uruapan, where the festivities come to life in the neighborhood that bears the saint's name.

• Dances of Old Men and Little Black Men: In the San Juan neighborhood, the famous Dances of the Old Men (symbol of Purépecha wisdom and memory) and the Dances of Little Black Men are presented, which, with their agile movements and masks, keep alive a tradition of social criticism and humor.

Saint John the Baptist's Day is the perfect time to immerse yourself in the most authentic Michoacán: the one that dances to the rhythm of the violin, that adorns its streets with flowers in honor of the saint, and that asks the sky for the rain necessary for the corn harvest.