The October Fiestas of San Francisco Javier will be celebrated from September 27 to October 6, 2019 in Magdalena de Kino, Sonora. It is the biggest annual event in Magdalena de Kino, and one of the largest in Northern Sonora, Mexico.
In addition to the Chapel of San Francisco Javier, festivities will also take place in an area that encompasses two local plazas – Plaza Monumental, which adjoins the chapel, with food and beer vendors at Plaza Benito Juarez, about a half-block away.
There are carnival rides and product vendors selling everything from blankets to housewares and religious figures along Avenida Diana Laura Riojas de Colosio on the east side of the plaza, and on Paseo Guadalajara, adjacent to the railroad tracks and riverbed.
And count on enjoying the music of strolling “taka taka” musicians in the plazas and adjacent areas.
This festival is celebrated every year, from the last week of September to a few days after the Feast Day of Saint Francis of Assisi on October 4th, thousands of people gather in Magdalena de Kino, Sonora for the traditional Fiestas de Octubre (October fiestas), also known as the Fiestas de San Francisco.
Food, Cervezas and Fun
In addition to a multitude of food options available, from delicious churros, elotes (corn) and other snacks to carne asada and other Sonoran favorites, there are also dozens of vendors who come from various parts of Mexico to sell their goods.
There will also be displays, dances and other performances by members of the Tohono O’odham tribe and other indigenous Sonorans.
It is also a great place to find tourist products that you would normally not find in one place, from religious relics to clothing, jewelry, fabrics and curios.
In Honor of San Francisco
The main reason for the annual October fiestas is to honor Magdalena’s patron saint, San Francisco Javier.
A figure of San Francisco lying in repose in the Chapel of San Francisco Javier, next to the church on Plaza Monumental, is the centerpiece of the fiestas. A continually long line of people will wait outside the chapel for their turn to light a candle, and touch and kiss the figure.
And following a belief that sinners and those who aren’t pure of heart can’t lift the saint, many of the visitors will lift the image of San Francisco as they stop to pray to him. If you plan to visit the fiestas, most of the festivities are centered around two nearby plazas – Plaza Monumental and Plaza Benito Juarez.
Driving to Magdalena
During the fiestas, thousands of pilgrims will walk to Magdalena from various places in Sonora, with the majority walking 60 miles from the border city of Nogales, Sonora, to fulfill a manda as thanks for favors granted, and pay homage to the town’s patron saint of San Francisco Javier.
If you plan to be driving on Mexico highway 15 from late September to early October, be extra-alert to the caminantes walking along the side of the highway.
The streets around the area will be closed to vehicular traffic, so its best to leave your vehicle at the hotel or find a parking place somewhere in the surrounding streets, and walk or take a taxi to the fiestas.
