San Francis de Assisi Festival in San Pancho

From September 26 through October 4 the charming village of San Francisco, Nayarit, better known as ‘San Pancho,’ will celebrate an eight-day festival in honor of its namesake, Saint Francis of Assisi.

The patron saint of the environment and animals, Saint Francis emphasized mankind’s role to protect nature, and San Pancho residents take his mission quite seriously, which is reflected in their various ecological programs, such as a birding group, a marine turtle preservation group, and an environmental group devoted to the preservation of the jaguar and its habitat.

As a strong Catholic country, Mexico reveres its saints, and they do this in San Pancho by holding a festival in his honor every year.

Every day of the eight-day festival is a celebration with locals and visitors alike enjoying lots of food, drinks, music, rodeos, parades, and colorful traditions like “The Bull,” a spectacular headdress equipped with skyrockets that are lit as a “runner” moves through the crowd; and “The Torch,” which is carried from a nearby town by a group of runners who are welcomed with music, shouts, and confetti.

On October 4th, the celebrations close with a bang. Fireworks are going off all day long. Spirited celebrations, parades, music and dance performances, a variety of cultural and competitive events take place throughout the day, until around 6 pm when it’s time for the final rodeo, which usually lasts well into the night.

Source: Banderas News

Last Updated on 16/09/2019 by Puerto Vallarta Net