Seasonal Events in San Carlos

When you take a vacation in San Carlos, Mexico, you’ll always find something to celebrate! It doesn’t matter what time of year you go; when you rent a fully furnished house or condo in San Carlos from Sea Side Reservations, you are likely to witness and even be able to participate in a number of exciting parties, parades, festivals, and holidays during your stay.

For both visitors and residents of San Carlos, events like these offer a chance to come together, let loose, and have fun. In this utopian beach town by the crystal-clear waters of the Sea of Cortez, every calendar year is brimming with fun-filled gatherings and important Mexican holidays. Take advantage of our vacation home rentals in San Carlos, Mexico, and your next vacation can be a nonstop good time!

Dia de los Santos Reyes

The sixth of January is the date for Dia de los Santos Reyes, or “King’s Day.” In Mexico, this is when the Christmas season comes to its finale. The “kings” are the three wise men. They famously brought gifts for the birth of Jesus. Children in Mexico are given gifts on this day as well. Everyone shares a rosca de reyes. This is a ring shaped sweet bread filled with candied fruit and drizzled with sugar. Inside is a little figure that represents Jesus. If your piece of the rosca has this in it, it is your turn to make the tamales for February 2’s Dia de la Candelaria.

Carnaval

Every year during the week leading up to Lent, the people of San Carlos participate in Carnaval, a five-day Mardi Gras celebration. Like many other Mardi Gras celebrations, this San Carlos festival is full of masks, brightly colored costumes, parades with outrageous floats, music, and dance.

San Carlos is known as having one of the very best Carnaval celebrations in the country, along with the ones in Mazatlan and Veracruz. The streets are filled with revelers, vendors, and bands. It’s fun and overwhelming!

Semana Santa

During the week before Easter, San Carlos residents and visitors from all over celebrate the end of Lent with a festival called Semana Santa, which means “holy week.” This, too, is an occasion for spirited celebration. Travelers flock to San Carlos during Semana Santa, and the town’s beaches typically fill up with campers and partygoers. The population of San Carlos swells during Semana Santa. It is vacation time for many people in Mexico, and nearby Hermosillo, the state capital, tends to see San Carlos as its beach. In recent years, as many as 50,000 have come to show the world that in Mexico, they know how to party. Laid-back beach town? Not this week!

Festival del Mar Bermejo

In July, there is an important San Carlos festival called the Festival del Mar Bermejo. This days-long festival celebrates the Mexican victory in the Battle of Guaymas, which took place on July 13, 1854. On this date, General José María Yáñez successfully defended the Port of Guaymas against French pirates led by Count Gaston de Raousset-Boulbon. This historic day is commemorated with theatrical performances, dances, live music, and art exhibits.

Mexican Independence Day

Contrary to widespread belief in America, Mexican Independence Day is not celebrated on May 5. Cinco de Mayo, which commemorates the Mexican victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla, may actually be more widely celebrated in the United States than it is in most places in Mexico. Mexican Independence Day, also referred to as El Grito de Dolores, is celebrated on September 16. In San Carlos, events like live performances and parades mark this special day. Typically, visitors and residents can expect lots of mariachi music, dancers, fireworks, and other displays of national pride to accompany the festivities.

Festival de la Calaca

The Festival de la Calaca, which roughly translates to the Festival of the Skeleton, takes place in San Carlos during Dia de los Muertos celebrations at the beginning of November. This San Carlos festival typically consists of the creation and display of special altars to honor loved ones who have passed away. These altars, called ofrendas, usually feature candy skulls, flowers, and foods that the deceased enjoyed during life. Usually, there is also live music, dancers, and a parade.