A Festival in the Fireworks Capital of the World

Tultepec, located just north of Mexico City, is usually a quiet town except for one week every year. Handcrafted fireworks have been a tradition here for at least 150 years, but things took a turn for the worst in 1988 after a vendor’s stand exploded in La Merced Market, killing 61 people and prompting the government to ban production within city limits. Unfortunately the ban dealt a severe blow for Tultepec’s tourism, and to regain the lost commerce the local fireworks guild decided to start a festival to bring people back, in addition to honoring their patron saint San Juan de Dios, protector of firework makers.

This celebration kicked off the city’s annual Feria de la Pirotécnia Nacional, now drawing about 100,000 people every year to the normally sleepy town. The ammunition here isn’t like the stuff you can buy in the States. Mexican fireworks are banned in America, as they’re more powerful and less reliable for safety, and the people who run the festival have worked in the industry for decades. Families operate most firework shops in Tultepec, and the festival attracts manufacturers from other production centers like San Pedro de la Laguna, San Mateo Tlalchichilpan and Almoloya de Juarez.

If you’re in Mexico City for the month of March, make a point of attending this festival, as you haven’t seen a fireworks display like this. The main Pamplonada event is a play on Running of the Bulls, where instead of live bulls, 250 flaming wooden bulls called toritos are paraded through the streets. Los Castillos are another fan favorite, with 100-foot-tall towers are decked out with rockets and spinners. The structures take weeks to build and they can last for more than 30 minutes. Additionl events include sky lantern releases, traditional Mexican music and dance.