Guatemala - Events

Fairs and religious festivals are scheduled across the country throughout the year.

Semana Santa, Holy Week, is regarded as Guatemala’s most popular holiday and the city that does it the best is Antigua, Guatemala. Services are attended by the masses at the great Baroque cathedral, and processions take place several times throughout the day.

Guatemala’s independence day, September 15th, is celebrated throughout the country with fireworks, parades, football matches, dances and cockfights. Indigenous crafts are often made and sold during the festivities.

November 1st marks All Saints Day with the traditional Barriletes Gigantes festival in Santiago taking over the Sumpango district. Here you’ll find giant, custom made kites being flown to honor the dead and send inspiring and motivational messages to those still living; you can also indulge in the traditional fiambre dish served during this event.

Weekly market days are also typical in several local villages throughout the country. At the markets you find local vendors selling everything from local handicrafts to livestock. One of the most famous among tourists is in Chichicastenango.

November: Panama Posse Rally 

The Panama Posse claims to be the biggest rally in the world, with 300 boats expected for the sixth edition. It has no set schedule or route, boats join from many different locations and it runs both east-west and west-east. The fleet usually grows as it travels down the west coast from California but most join from Mexico before heading through the Panama Canal. Entry includes a Panama Canal agent. Time frame is determined by the start and finish of the hurricane season. Boats range in size from 30-footers upwards, with the average age of a participants 45-65 and plenty of families taking part.

Route: Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Jamaica, Roatan Bay of Islands, Rio Dulce, Belize, Yucatan peninsula, Cuba and Key West.

https://panamaposse.com/