Special Events in Cancun

January 1:
New Year's Day is celebrated throughout the region.

January 6:
El Día de Los Reyes (Feast of the Epiphany, or Three Kings Day) is the traditional day of gift-giving.

February-March:
Carnaval (Mardi Gras) festivities take place the week before Lent, with parades, floats, outdoor dancing, music, and fireworks.

March 13 - April 1:
Lasser Sailing Show

March 21 and September 21:
At the Equinoxes, Kukulcán, the plumed serpent deity, appears to emerge from his temple atop El Castillo Pyramid at Chichén Itzá (west of Cancún) and slithers down to earth.

Late April:
The Sol a Sol International Regatta launched from St. Petersburg, Florida, arrives in Isla Mujeres, an island offshore from Cancún, sparking regional dances and a general air of festivity.

Late April-June:
Billfish Tournaments take place in Cozumel, Puerto Aventuras, and Cancún.

Early May:
Regatta al Sol brings a fleet of sailboats from Pensacola, Florida, to Isla Mujeres.

May 10 - 13:
The Cancún Jazz Festival, an annual event since 1991, has featured such top musicians as Wynton Marsalis and Gato Barbieri. See info on this year's event.

June 25 - 28:
CHIC, The Caribbean Hotel International Congress. (Caribbean Hotel Association)

September 15-16:
Independence Day, the commemoration of a historic speech, known as the grito (shout), by Independence leader Padre Miguel Hidalgo, is celebrated throughout Mexico with fireworks and parties.

October 4-6:
Mexican Caribbean Travel Mart. Destination showcase for the international travel industry.

October 27- November 4:
ITU Triathalon World Cup

November 1-2:
On the Day of the Dead, or All Saints' Day, Mexicans all over the country visit cemeteries to construct marigold-strewn altars on the graves of loved ones and ancestors and to symbolically share a meal with them by leaving offerings and having graveside picnics. Bakers herald the annual return of the departed from the spirit world with pastry skulls and candy.

November 10 -11:
International Caribbean Cultural Festival

November 29-December 8:
Fiesta of Isla Mujeres honors the island's patron saint, as members of various guilds stage processions, dances, and bullfights.

Early December:
Cancún Fair serves as a nostalgia trip for provincials who now live along the Caribbean shore but still remember the small-town fiestas back home.