The Yucatecan capital didn’t sleep. Mérida celebrated its anniversary in the best way it knows how, with music born from the heart and echoing through its streets.
On Monday night, as midnight approached, the city prepared to celebrate 484 years of history, and tradition once again took shape with the Alborada and Callejoneada, which, year after year, draws troubadours, families, and visitors.
From 10 p.m. onward, Santa Lucía Park began to fill with voices and guitars. There, the four troubadour associations of the state gathered: the Pastor Cervera Rosado Professional Troubadour Union, the Pepe Domínguez Zaldívar Troubadour Union, the Augusto Guty Cárdenas Pinelo Troubadour Union of Yucatán, and the Armando Manzanero Single Union of Troubadours of Yucatán, offering the first musical breath of an evening deeply rooted in Mérida’s spirit.
The music left the stage to become a walking procession. The traditional callejoneada (a serenade through the streets) began, led by Mayor Cecilia Patrón Laviada, accompanied by municipal officials and members of her administration.
Together with the troubadours, they proceeded through the historic center in a solemn procession steeped in identity and memory.
Ninety-six troubadours participated in the walk, organized into 24 trios from each association, along with the Mérida City Hall Ballet, whose steps and costumes added color and elegance to the evening. The Trovemia Trio and the troubadour Adalberto Pinzón contributed emotional touches to a route that, guitar in hand, led the crowd to the ground floor of the Municipal Palace.
At midnight, in front of the city’s historic building, the eagerly awaited “Mañanitas” (a traditional Mexican birthday song) were sung to the City of Mérida, as part of the commemorative serenade for the 484th anniversary of its founding. On stage, the troubadour associations performed in this order: first, the Pastor Cervera Rosado Professional Troubadour Union, followed by the Pepe Domínguez Zaldívar Troubadour Union, the Augusto Guty Cárdenas Pinelo Troubadour Union of Yucatán, and finally, the Armando Manzanero Union of Troubadours of Yucatán.
In a moment of profound symbolic power, all the troubadours performed together a repertoire dedicated to the city, featuring emblematic pieces such as “Acuarela a Mérida” by Miguel Gallardo, “Mérida” by Pepe Narváez, “Manos de armiño” by Duarte Moreno and Pepe Domínguez, “Ciudad Blanca” by Pepe Guízar, “Solo tú” by Alejandro G. Rosas, “Mérida colonial” by Luis Espinosa Alcalá, “Mi Mérida” by Chico Herrera, and the beloved “Peregrina” by Luis Rosado Vega and Ricardo Palmerín.
Voices rose to sing to Mérida as one sings to a loved one, with pride and nostalgia. Fireworks illuminated the sky as traditional music marked the final pulse of the celebration.
The lower level of the Municipal Palace was packed, and the public responded with prolonged applause to the majesty of the moment, which was further enhanced by the regional costumes that seemed to encapsulate centuries of history in every embroidered detail.
This dawn serenade officially opened Mérida Fest 2026, which will offer a wide-ranging cultural program with free admission from January 5th to 18th.
The invitation remains open to join in a celebration that, like this opening night, commemorates Mérida not only for its anniversary but also for the way it continues to celebrate itself.
Source: yucatan
