Yucatán’s Tunich Fair 2026 Ends This Weekend in Mérida
Art & Culture: Mérida
Key Facts
—Event. The Feria Artesanal Tunich 2026 runs from 24 July to 2 August in Dzityá, a craft village in the Mérida municipality of Yucatán, Mexico.
—Closing. The final weekend falls on Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 August 2026, with two days of live music, family shows, food and craft stalls.
—Lineup. Saturday’s stage (from 4 p.m.) features Ramiro y su Son Tropical, Santa Cecilia, Son Star, Vic Sanz and One Life; Sunday adds a children’s show plus Grupo K-Fe, Estibent y los Reyes del Sabor, La Carcajada and Sabor a Fuego.
—Scale. The 25th edition gathers 168 exhibitors — 124 from Mérida and its comisarías and 44 from other Mexican states — selling wood, stone, hammocks, textiles, pottery and jewellery.
Admission is free. The Mérida city government runs free shuttle buses from the Plaza Grande to Dzityá, operating Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.; the service does not run on Sundays.
The Feria Tunich, Yucatán’s largest handicraft fair, reaches its final weekend on 1 and 2 August 2026 in Dzityá, closing a 25th-anniversary run with free music, food and Maya crafts.
A 25-Year Tradition Reaches Its Final Weekend
The Feria Artesanal Tunich, branded “Tunich Hecha a Mano” (Tunich, Made by Hand), is one of southeastern Mexico’s most important craft gatherings. The 2026 edition opened on 24 July and closes on Sunday 2 August in Dzityá, a small community inside the Mérida municipality.
Organizers mark the fair’s 25th anniversary this year, a milestone that frames the closing weekend as both a celebration and a last chance to visit. Entry is free, and the event draws thousands of local families and visitors.
The word “tunich” means “stone” in Maya, a nod to Dzityá’s reputation for stone carving and woodwork. The village has long been a hub for artisans, and the fair grew out of that local tradition.
What the Closing Lineup Looks Like
The final Saturday, 1 August, begins at 4 p.m. with a music program featuring Ramiro y su Son Tropical, Santa Cecilia, Son Star and Vic Sanz, with the band One Life closing the night. Visitors can browse the craft pavilions while the stage runs.
Sunday 2 August, the fair’s last day, is built around family entertainment. It opens at 4 p.m. with a children’s show of botargas (costumed mascots), followed by Grupo K-Fe, Estibent y los Reyes del Sabor, La Carcajada and Sabor a Fuego.
Throughout both days, craft sales and Yucatecan food stalls continue alongside the live shows, giving the weekend the feel of a village fair rather than a ticketed concert.
Who Exhibits and What They Sell
The 2026 fair brings together 168 exhibitors. Of those, 124 come from Mérida and its outlying comisarías, while 44 travel from other parts of Mexico, including Puebla, Veracruz, Guanajuato and Michoacán, as well as the Yucatán towns of Kanasín, Opichén and Xocchel.
Stalls carry a wide range of handmade goods: carved wood and stone, hammocks, embroidered textiles, pottery, jewellery and Maya-inspired crafts, along with furniture and other pieces made entirely by hand.
For a foreign visitor, the fair is a rare chance to buy directly from makers rather than through resellers, and to see regional craft traditions side by side in one place.
Hours, Free Transport and Getting There
The fair runs Monday to Thursday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Dzityá sits on the northern edge of Mérida, a short drive from the city centre.
To ease access, the Mérida city government runs free shuttle buses from the Plaza Grande, the city’s main square, out to Dzityá. Units leave hourly from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and from 10 a.m. on Sundays.
The free transport is meant to reduce traffic and parking pressure around the small community, and it makes the fair reachable for visitors without a car.
Why the Fair Matters for the Region
Tunich is more than a market. It functions as an annual highlight for Yucatán’s artisan economy, giving makers direct sales, exposure and a platform beside peers from other states.
Craft fairs like this one anchor cultural tourism in the Mérida area, which has become a magnet for foreign residents and remote workers drawn by the city’s safety, colonial architecture and cost of living.
For expats settling in Yucatán, the closing weekend offers an accessible entry point into local culture: free to attend, family-friendly and centred on the handmade traditions that define the region.
More: Mexico news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the closing weekend of the Feria Tunich 2026?
The Feria Tunich 2026 closes on Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 August 2026 in Dzityá, in the Mérida municipality of Yucatán, Mexico. The fair opened on 24 July.
Who is performing at the Tunich Fair closing weekend?
Saturday 1 August features Ramiro y su Son Tropical, Santa Cecilia, Son Star, Vic Sanz and One Life. Sunday 2 August offers a children’s show plus Grupo K-Fe, Estibent y los Reyes del Sabor, La Carcajada and Sabor a Fuego.
How much does it cost to attend, and how do I get there?
Admission is free. The Mérida city government runs free shuttle buses from the Plaza Grande to Dzityá, hourly from 5 p.m. Monday to Saturday and from 10 a.m. on Sundays.
Sources
Sources: La Chispa, Diario de Yucatán, Yucatán Today.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
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