Toluca announces 2026 Alfeñique Fair and Cultural Festival

Toluca Mayor Ricardo Moreno Bastida has announced that the 2026 Alfeñique Fair and Cultural Festival will take place from October 4 to November 1. The event will feature over 200 artistic, cultural, and recreational activities, including 13 massive concerts.

As part of the promotion, a monumental Alfeñique piece will be created starting at the Chamber of Deputies in Mexico City before traveling to Toluca for completion. Artisans Luis Enrique Zarco Rivas, Claudia Gabriela Mondragón López, and Georgina Silva Reyes Mondragón will lead the project to showcase the tradition to federal legislators and the public.

The municipal government is also working to secure a Geographical Indication for Alfeñique to recognize and preserve the artisanal practice, which was previously declared Intangible Cultural Heritage of the State of Mexico. The festival, which has been held in the historic center of Toluca since 1932, aims to project this tradition associated with Day of the Dead celebrations to national and international audiences.