The Fiestas de Octubre, Guadalajara’s annual month-long fair, kicks off on Friday, October 3 at its traditional site on the northern periferico (intersection with Av. Alcalde).

Open daily, the fair serves up the usual mix of nightly entertainment (mainly popular Mexican bands), mechanical and children’s games, themed pavilions and food and vendors’ booths.  There’s an ice rink and cockfights in the palenque, which always feature top singing acts around midnight.

The opening parade takes place in downtown Guadalajara on Sunday, October 5, 10 a.m. There will be dozens of creative floats, marching bands, clowns and acrobats. The city center also hosts free, nightly open-air shows in the Plaza Fundadores behind the Teatro Degollado (starting 7 p.m.), the annual stone masonry contest in the Plaza de la Liberacion (it runs throughout the month), and the Salon de Octubre, a state-wide art competition at the Ex-Convento del Carmen. 

The annual state livestock fair begins Thursday, October 9.