With the participation of more than 250 members of huehue dance groups from the Tlaxcala Carnival, “Tlaxcala en Los Pinos” began today, Saturday, August 22, 2026. The event brings together artistic expressions, community knowledge, gastronomy, handicrafts, and products from the state at the Los Pinos Cultural Complex.
The event, organized by the Ministry of Culture of the Government of Mexico and the Government of Tlaxcala, began with a parade departing from Gate 5 toward Plaza Jacarandas, featuring the Mosaico de Colores group from Tetla, Camino Real de San José Teacalco, Popular Payasos, Internacional Frontera from Amaxac de Guerrero, and Chivarrudos from Quilehtla.
Afterward, the opening ceremony was held with the presence of Valeria Palomino, general director of Circuits and Festivals, representing Claudia Curiel de Icaza, Secretary of Culture of the Government of Mexico; Karen Álvarez Villeda, Secretary of Culture of the Government of Tlaxcala, representing Governor Lorena Cuéllar Cisneros; and Elisa Lemus Cano, director of the Los Pinos Cultural Complex.
Valeria Palomino highlighted that the “Los Estados en Los Pinos” events seek to ensure that communities themselves share their heritage and tell their own stories: “We conceive these festivals not only as showcases to observe from afar, but as spaces where communities tell their own stories and meet those who come to listen to them.”
On August 22 and 23, she noted, the venue is receiving 547 cultural bearers, including artists, traditional cooks, workshop instructors, artisans, and local producers who preserve and transmit knowledge inherited across generations.
For her part, the Secretary of Culture of Tlaxcala highlighted the participation of communities in preserving the state’s heritage and the role of women as bearers and transmitters of knowledge.
“Tlaxcalan women are the bearers of knowledge and guardians of our memory. In their hands, in their words, and in their hearts, an invaluable part of Tlaxcalan identity is preserved,” she said.
Álvarez Villeda recalled traditions such as sawdust carpets, San Pablo del Monte talavera, the Tlaxcala Carnival, and a gastronomic tradition linked to corn, maguey, and pulque. She also highlighted the continued presence of Indigenous languages and artisanal techniques transmitted from one generation to the next.
In her remarks, Lemus Cano noted that Tlaxcala is participating in “Los Estados en Los Pinos” for the second time, an initiative that brings the arts and living heritage of Mexico’s states to the venue.
She reported that during 2026, the program has brought together nearly 130,000 attendees and more than 2,000 artisans, traditional cooks, workshop instructors, local producers, and artists.
Rosalina Norma Gutiérrez Ramírez, a pepenado artisan from Ixtenco, delivered a message in Yühmu and emphasized: “What brings us together today is not only to showcase the living cultural heritage we have inherited, but also to share everything that we, as Indigenous peoples, have chosen to preserve.”
Delfina Leonor Cuamatzi Cuamatzi, a Nahuatl speaker from Contla de Juan Cuamatzi, delivered part of her message in Nahuatl and spoke about the connection with the history of her community, its wool textiles, cuisine, and carnival, as well as the importance of knowing and preserving the memory of each municipality in Tlaxcala.
The ceremony was also attended by Nathalie Veronique Desplas Puel, Undersecretary of Tourism of the Government of Mexico, representing Secretary of Tourism Josefina Rodríguez Zamora, and María Estela Álvarez Corona, Secretary of Welfare of the Government of Tlaxcala.
Huehues, Music and Flavors on Saturday
After the opening ceremony, the program continued in different areas of the Los Pinos Cultural Complex with the Typical Ensemble of the State Music School of Tlaxcala, Ixtacuixtla campus, and the Camino Real de San José Teacalco group.
Later, the Ensamble Son de la Matlalcueye performed, incorporating jarabes, huasteco son, Cuban son, and rumba, followed by the Popular Payasos group, originally from Santa Justina Ecatepec, in Ixtacuixtla de Mariano Matamoros.
The Tierra Joven Folkloric Ballet performed the Jarabe Tlaxcalteco, while the Internacional Frontera group from Amaxac de Guerrero and the Chivarrudos from Quilehtla brought their dances to different areas of the venue.
The exhibition “20 perspectivas de Tlaxcala” also opened to the public at Plaza Cencalli, along with a display of pieces made from clay, talavera, papier-mâché, silver, textiles, embroidery, and totomoxtle art at Plaza Jacarandas. Traditional cuisine and products from different communities throughout the state are also being offered at the Cencalli Smoke Kitchens and Tejabán.
The Celebration Continues on Sunday
“Tlaxcala en Los Pinos” continues tomorrow, Sunday, August 23, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with an exhibition and sale of handicrafts and local products, traditional cuisine, and the “20 perspectivas de Tlaxcala” exhibition.
The program begins at 11 a.m. at Plaza Jacarandas with Daniel Salas y Identidad, a musical project inspired by the culture, traditions, nature, and historical context of Tlaxcala. This will be followed by performances such as Maíces y raíces: leyendas prehispánicas, an oral storytelling presentation that recovers Nahua and Otomi origin stories, and Nuestra historia, a production based on the founding of the city of Tlaxcala. At Cabin 2, workshops such as “Milagritos de cartapesta” will also be offered, among others.
All “Tlaxcala en Los Pinos” activities are free of charge. The Los Pinos Cultural Complex is located at Avenida Molino del Rey 252, 1st Section of Chapultepec Forest, near the Los Pinos/Constituyentes Cablebús station and the Constituyentes Metro station.
Source: gob
