San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, prepares every year for one of its most representative traditions: the Convite de Locos (Crazy People’s Party), a parade in which people dress up and parade through the streets with music and dance.
Held on the first Sunday after June 13th in honor of Saint Anthony of Padua, known as the “Saint of the Gardens,” this event brings together thousands of participants and spectators.
This year, the parade is scheduled for June 15th, starting at 10:00 a.m. from the Church of San Antonio and ending at the Main Garden, after passing through streets such as Ancha de San Antonio, Zacateros, and Hernández Macías.
Where does the tradition come from?
The origin of the Convite de Locos dates back to the dances of the gardeners, who in the 19th century honored Saint Isidore the Farmer and Saint Pascual Bailón, patron saints of the harvest and cooks.
The gardeners used to distribute fruit as a gesture of gratitude for the harvest, a practice that extends to distributing sweets and gifts to spectators, who often carry upside-down umbrellas to collect them.
The dancers dressed as scarecrows, characters who over time were called “locos” (crazy people).
These figures evolved into clown costumes with cardboard or wooden masks, and today, the outfits range from superheroes and movie characters to parodies of politicians.
The Organization of the Festival
The Convite de Locos (The Convite of Locos) is organized into four traditional groups: Cuadro del Parque (Park Square), Cuadro Antiguo (Old Square), Cuadro Nuevo (New Square), and Cuadro del Tecolote (Tecolote Square), each with 13 groups that include floats and live music.
The Cuadro del Parque (Park Square), the oldest, emerged at the beginning of the 20th century in Juárez Park, and is led by families like Los Patlán, who have continued the tradition for generations.
The Cuadro Antiguo, originating in 1912 in the San Juan de Dios neighborhood, preserves dances such as the Torito dance, a symbol of agricultural roots.
In 2025, the El Nigromante Cultural Center will complement the festivities with the exhibition “El Convite de Locos. A Cultural Memory,” which, starting June 11, displays photographs, masks, and testimonies that chronicle more than 50 years of this tradition.
Source: e-consulta
