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Actopan Barbecue Fair
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When:
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8 Jul 2008 (annual)
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Where:
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Actopan
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| Opening Hours: |
All day
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The Actopan Barbecue Fair (or the Feria de la Barbacoa) is held to commemorate the town's foundation on 8 July back in the 16th century. It's also the best chance a carnivore will have of finding heaven in Mexico.
The famous festival sees locals from all over the state of Hidalgo competing to win the title of Best Barbecuer, in a competition which always takes place on 8 July. The title is awarded to the barbecuer who cooks the most difficult and most tasty selection of meats.
Throughout the weeks leading up to the event, food stalls sell all the best Hidalgo gastronomic specialities including pulques (drinks made from fermented maguey - a type of agave plant) as well as a range of Actopan barbecued meat, such as roasted mutton wrapped in maguey leaves.
Where the space is not taken up by food stalls, it is crammed with cockfighting, bullfighting and charreadas (Mexican-style rodeos), so you're guaranteed a real Mexican party with folk dancing, live music and fireworks.
Apart from eating steaks in Actopan, don't miss the convent of San Nicolás Tolentino, which is decorated with fine 16th-century frescoes. The town also has an Ethnographic Museum and an open market on Wednesdays.
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