2025 Alborada and Festival of St. Michael

The great celebration called “Alborada”, will be celebrated on September 28, when the city will be decorated to honor its patron saint, with this night full of joy, music, colors and the magic of local traditions, before which the arrival of thousands of visitors is expected, who will join the San Miguel community in this cultural celebration.

“At 2:30 a.m., from the neighborhoods of Valle del Maíz, La Aurora, and La Estación, enormous stars made of colorful Chinese paper, with 6, 8, and 12 peaks, begin to arrive at the Main Square. He had explained to me that they evoke the Virgen de la Luz, venerated since 1930 by those who worked in the old textile factory La Aurora; they carry candles inside because they illuminated the processions since times when there were no electric lights in the streets. These dancing figures are held up on wooden poles about 2 meters high, which gives the impression that they float above the crowd. The ringing of the main bell at 4:00 a.m. interrupts the revelry and marks the beginning of La Alborada, a luminous offering to please the “Archangel Lord St. Michael,” as they call him, and thus grant them blessings throughout the year.” Source: Mexico Desconocido.

There are scheduled processions in the communities it represents, its novena and pilgrimages from different colonies, and the big festival that will begin on September 28, on the day of San Miguel Arcángel, with its mañanitas, then on Sunday, the traditional dawn with the stars, the confirmations of girls and boys, the entrance of the xúchiles, several masses in his honor and much more.

Festivities of San Miguel de Allende in honor of the Patron Saint of the city, San Miguel Arcángel. Various social, artistic, sports, cultural events are held in addition to their famous bullfights. It is a celebration almost 500 years old, even before the foundation of the city.

The festivities begin at night, in the Main Square, with the traditional “ Alborada ” at 4:00 in the morning between mariachis music and musical groups. People gather to witness a great spectacle of thousands of fireworks that culminate at 5 in the morning, time when the traditional ones “ Mañanitas ” are sung in honor of Saint Michael the Archangel.

On Saturday the traditional “ Entrance of the Xúchiles ” and the pilgrimage are held, where thousands of people join the indigenous dances with offerings in honor of Saint Michael the Archangel and the ancestors buried in the church atrium.

The festivities end on Sunday afternoon with the procession of the image of Saint Michael the Archangel through the streets of the city. During the tour, visit the nun temples, the oratory and San Francisco to return to their parish.

The Alborada is a representation of the struggle of the Archangel San Miguel against Lucifer, which translates into a pyrotechnic show that lasts a little over an hour.

In 1925, the workers of the textile factory La Aurora took up this ancient tradition. In that same year, the famous Mojigangas were also created.

The people of San Miguel celebrate these patron saint festivities on the weekend closest to September 29th, which can vary between September and October.

At 4 o’clock in the morning marks the beginning, an offering of dances, pyrotechnics and music to please the Archangel San Miguel and receive his blessings throughout the year. In front of the beautiful neo-Gothic style San Miguel Parish, the first fireworks are released, accompanied by the shouts of excitement of the spectators.

There is band music in every corner of the plaza, where groups of people from the neighborhoods of Valle del Maíz, La Aurora and La Estación begin to arrive.

Fireworks flash across the plaza, men shoot off shrapnel, and surprised tourists run for cover.

They bring with them huge colored stars made with Chinese paper that evoke the Virgen de la Luz, who was venerated since 1930 by those who worked in the textile factory La Aurora, and carry candles inside because they illuminated the processions in the times when there was still no electric light.

It’s definitely a sight you can’t miss! As time goes by, the rockets stop only to give way to a huge four-sided castle!

As dawn passes, the plaza rests, but only long enough to welcome another of San Miguel de Allende’s traditions and customs, where hundreds of riders fill the street in front of the Parroquia, where a temporary altar has been set up for mass and the blessing of the horses.

The festival continues, where a traditional show is presented with Voladores de Papantla, burning of Judas (paper mache dolls), many traditional food stands. There is also a unique parade, between religious and pagan, where it is the turn of the ¨concheros¨ and their native dances that offer ¨xuchiles¨ (beautiful offerings).