An Overview of September Celebrations in Mexico
September in Mexico runs on patriotic energy. It’s widely known as “el Mes de la Patria,” the month of the homeland, and for good reason: from the first week onward, streets, homes, and public buildings across the country are strung with the red, white, and green of the national flag, and the whole country builds toward one date in particular.
Independence Day, the centerpiece of the month
Mexican Independence Day, officially observed on September 16th, commemorates the start of Mexico‘s war for independence from Spain in 1810. It’s a full public holiday: banks, schools, and government offices all close for the day.
El Grito de Dolores
The festivities actually start the night before. Around 11:00 PM on September 15th, the President reenacts Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla’s historic “Grito de Dolores” from the balcony of the National Palace, overlooking Mexico City’s Zócalo. Hidalgo’s original 1810 cry was the spark that lit the whole independence movement, and the President’s reenactment includes ringing the same bell Hidalgo rang, honoring the independence heroes by name, and finishing with three shouts of “¡Viva México!” Governors and mayors run near-identical ceremonies in town squares all over the country, and the crowds that gather for it are genuinely enthusiastic, this isn’t a formality anyone shows up for out of obligation.
What follows
Fireworks, mariachi, folk dancing, and street parties take over immediately after the Grito ceremony, and food is very much part of it: chiles en nogada, pozole, tostadas, tacos, birria, and mole all make appearances, washed down with tequila, mezcal, or pulque. On September 16th itself, parades and civic ceremonies happen in cities across Mexico, showcasing the kind of national pride that’s hard to miss if you’re anywhere near a town square that day. We’ve written up the full day-by-day breakdown, including the military parade in Mexico City, in our guide to Mexico’s Independence Day celebrations, and the food side of things gets its own deep dive in our piece on Independence Day’s traditional dishes.
Two dates worth knowing beyond the 16th
- Niños Héroes (September 13th): a solemn day honoring six teenage military cadets who died defending Chapultepec Castle in 1847 against invading U.S. forces. You’ll usually see parades and ceremonial gun salutes, especially at the castle itself.
- Josefa Ortiz de Domínguez’s birthday (September 8th): Josefa, known as “La Corregidora,” was one of the key figures behind the independence movement. It was her warning that the Querétaro conspiracy had been discovered that pushed Hidalgo to launch the uprising earlier than planned, and without that tip-off, history might have gone very differently.
Regional festivals happening at the same time
Independence Day dominates the calendar, but it’s far from the only thing going on. The Mariachi Festival in Guadalajara, the Feria Nacional de Zacatecas (roughly September 5th through the 23rd), Fiestas del Sol, and the Fiesta de San Miguel around September 29th in San Miguel de Allende all fall within the month, and we’ve covered that last one in full, since it’s one of the more spectacular patron saint celebrations anywhere in the country. Mexico City adds its own layer with the Pulque and Mezcal Gastronomic Festival and a Plant Fest showcasing the country’s floriculture, both typically running in the first half of September. For a wider tour of what’s happening region by region, our regional and cultural highlights guide covers everything from Puebla to the Yucatán.
Worth knowing if you’re planning a trip
September also happens to be the peak of Mexico’s rainy season, with warm temperatures, high humidity, and the kind of intense afternoon downpours that are more predictable than you’d think. Coastal areas are also in the thick of hurricane season. None of that stops the celebrations, but it’s worth planning around if you’re picking dates. On the upside, September is generally considered low season for tourism in Mexico, which tends to mean fewer crowds and better prices on flights, hotels, and tours than you’d find later in the year. For travelers who don’t mind an occasional rain shower in exchange for a quieter, more personal look at the country, it’s a genuinely good trade-off, and there’s something fitting about experiencing Mexico’s biggest month of national pride without fighting through peak-season crowds to do it.
