Festivals, dance and cuisine offer different ways to experience Santa María Tonameca. The 2023 program for the celebration in honor of the Virgin of the Assumption included religious observances, a Calenda and a Fandango Ribereño, as well as craft and food exhibitions. The cultural highlights therefore range from the religious festival calendar to dances, exhibitions and food traditions associated with different months.
May festival calendar
The 2008–2010 municipal development plan identifies the festival celebrated on May 11 in honor of the Virgin of the Assumption as the town’s most important festival. At the 2023 celebration, novenas and Masses began on May 2 and continued through May 10.
These dates serve different purposes: May 11 is the festival date given in the plan, while May 2–10 refers to the religious observances for the 2023 celebration. If you would like to plan your stay around this festival, check the dates and program for the relevant year.
Dance and musical tradition
Chilena is considered a characteristic dance of the people of Santa María Tonameca on the coast of Oaxaca. For visitors interested in dance and local culture, it is a distinctive point of connection. For the period 2008–2010, the municipal development plan records two brass bands: one in Santa María Tonameca and another in San Francisco Cozoaltepec. The plan also mentions a music school in the town center where children and young people interested in music received lessons; the teacher was paid by the municipality. Dance, brass bands and music lessons thus stand alongside one another as distinct facets of the local cultural profile.
Calenda, Fandango and crafts
At the 2023 celebration, locals and visitors experienced a Calenda and a Fandango Ribereño. A traditional Calenda in the 2023 program began at CBTIS 264 in Llano Grande and ended at the covered sports court of the municipal palace in Santa María Tonameca. If you would like to plan a trip around a procession, check the route and dates for the relevant year, as program details may vary.
Craft products and textiles were exhibited at the same 2023 celebration. The event also showcased historic traditional clothing from Tonameca. Alongside the festivities, textiles and crafts are therefore among the cultural themes associated with the celebration.
Cuisine for different occasions
Traditional Oaxacan dishes, including mole, were presented at the 2023 food exhibition. The dishes on display may vary. The 2008–2010 municipal development plan describes a different, home-based food tradition: many households prepared Pan de Muerto for Día de Todos los Santos on November 1 and 2.
The culinary traditions are therefore tied to different occasions: mole as part of a festival food exhibition, and Pan de Muerto as a household tradition in early November. This contrast also makes clear that the town’s cultural highlights are not limited to the May festival.
Discover more destinations: Santa Catarina Juquila, Cacaotepec, San Pablo Villa De Mitla, San Pedro Pochutla, Mazunte, Puerto Ángel, Tlalixtac De Cabrera, Villa De Tamazulapam Del Progreso
For the broader travel overview: Oaxaca.
