The town of Santiago, a historic ranching settlement about 70 kilometers north of Cabo San Lucas, will host its annual Fiestas Tradicionales from July 20 through 26. The Santiago festival Los Cabos program includes seven days of free sports, live music, folkloric dance, a mango market, and a traditional horse parade. All events are free and open to the public.
The Los Cabos municipal government, through its Instituto de la Cultura y las Artes (ICA), released the full schedule on its official site. For anyone looking for a day trip beyond the resort corridor, Santiago offers one of the most authentic pueblo celebrations left in Baja California Sur.
Santiago Has Held Traditional Fiestas for Decades
Santiago sits in the Sierra de la Laguna foothills along Highway 1, roughly an hour’s drive north of Cabo San Lucas and 40 minutes south of La Paz. The town was founded as a Jesuit mission in 1723, making it one of the oldest permanent settlements on the peninsula. Its population today is roughly 1,500 people, and the surrounding valley produces much of the region’s mango crop.
The annual fiestas date back generations and revolve around Santiago’s patron saint day, the Feast of St. James the Apostle, celebrated on July 25. Over time, the religious observance grew into a weeklong civic and cultural event. Mango season peaks in July across southern Baja California Sur, so the fruit became a centerpiece of the celebration. The Reina del Mango (Mango Queen) coronation has been a fixture for years.
Unlike the tourist-facing events common in Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo, Santiago’s fiestas are organized by and for locals. The performers are regional. The food vendors sell ranch-style cooking: machaca, tamales, empanadas, and regional mango sweets. The town plaza, named for revolutionary-era General Francisco J. Múgica, serves as the main venue.
Full Schedule From Monday Sports to Saturday Horse Parade
The week opens Monday, July 20, with a basketball tournament at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday brings a volleyball tournament at the same time. Wednesday, July 22, features a youth arroyo soccer match at 5 p.m. Arroyo soccer is played on dry riverbeds rather than formal pitches, a tradition specific to rural Baja California Sur towns.
Thursday, July 23, is the biggest day. Morning events start at 8 a.m. with a foot race. At 10 a.m., organizers will crown the 2026 Reina del Mango, Danna I, and cut the ribbon on the mango market. At 10:40 a.m., a new mural titled “Crónicas de un pueblo con historia” (Chronicles of a Town With History) will be inaugurated at the plaza, along with a recognition ceremony for local mango producers.
From late morning through early afternoon, the schedule packs in a fruit-carving contest at 10:45, a regional candy and stand competition at 11, a demonstration on making mango jam and traditional sweets at noon, and a mango-eating contest at 1 p.m. Prize ceremonies wrap up at 2 p.m.
Thursday evening shifts to the cultural program at the plaza. At 7 p.m., the Ballet Folclórico Infantil de Santiago performs under the direction of teacher Rosaura Martínez, known locally as “Mango.” A singing competition called “La Voz de Santiago 2026” follows, along with a lip-sync show titled “Luces de Santiago.” The Ballet Folclórico Ángeles de California and several local bands, including Banda Urbana Rancholos and Percusión Limanya, will also perform. A second queen, Nicole I, will be crowned at 9 p.m. A public dance begins at 10 p.m.
Friday, July 24, features “Baila la Plaza” with DJ Azteca starting at 6 p.m., followed by another public dance at 10 p.m.
Saturday, July 25, brings the highlight many visitors come for: the cabalgata, a traditional horse parade through town, starting at 8:30 a.m. Riders from ranches across the sierra participate on horseback. A final public dance follows that night at 10 p.m.
Sunday, July 26, closes the festival with a friendly soccer match between Rojos de Santiago and Amigos de Los Cabos at 9 a.m., plus a 4×4 off-road event at 10 a.m. Both take place beside the Santiago Sports Unit.
Getting to Santiago From Cabo San Lucas or San José del Cabo
Santiago is accessible via Highway 1. From Cabo San Lucas, drive north about 70 kilometers (roughly 50 minutes without traffic). From San José del Cabo, the drive is about 45 kilometers and takes around 35 minutes. The turnoff into town is well marked. Parking is informal but generally available along town streets near the plaza.
There is no public bus service timed to festival events, so a car is the practical option. The drive itself passes through the small towns of Miraflores and Santa Anita, with desert and orchard scenery along the way. Cell service can be spotty once you leave the highway.
Temperatures in late July typically reach 35 to 38 degrees Celsius (95 to 100 Fahrenheit) in the Santiago valley, so morning events like the Saturday cabalgata at 8:30 a.m. are the most comfortable for visitors. Bring water and sun protection.
The full program was published by the Los Cabos municipal government on its official website.