A ten minute walk down the street from my house is El Refugio, San Pedro’s cultural center. A variety of activities take place in this building, and the current main attraction is Guelaguetza, a fair presented by the city of Oaxaca. Work by artesans, as well as clothing and foods are prominently displayed in several rooms. I briefly sauntered through this area on my way to the main auditorium where the entertainment was to be held.

This huge room was packed with people. By some miracle I was able to find an unoccupied chair right on an aisle. In addition to the hundreds of us who were fortunate to find seats, there were hundreds more standing.

Here are two photos of incredible vocalists who performed early yesterday afternoon.

And then the dancers thrilled us with their delightful costumes and incredible moves. 

They were accompanied by a live group of talented musicians.

To the delight of the crowd, every now and then between performers, a person would appear on stage with a large basket filled with candy or fruit, and would toss them out to the audience. A vendor with a tray full of ice cream made his way up and down the aisles. The speakers blared music and the festive atmosphere was amazing.

I reluctantly left after about four hours when the battery on my phone died after taking numerous videos and photos.

I intend to return before the fair ends next weekend. There is still food to be sampled and a variety of displays to be viewed. And then perhaps a trip to Oaxaca itself in the future………….