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Mascota is a Pueblo Mágico with the authentic flavor of western Jalisco. It's cold in winter and mild the rest of the year, and it sits 195 km (121 miles) from Guadalajara and 85 km (53 miles) from Puerto Vallarta. The town has a rich calendar of religious and civic customs and traditions; here are some of them:
On January 6, Three Kings' Day, families share the traditional rosca (ring-shaped sweet bread). Whoever finds the baby Jesus figurine inside hosts a party on February 2, Candlemas Day.
On August 15, horseback parades.
From September 7 to 15, the novena to the Virgin of Sorrows, when communities from across the municipality make a pilgrimage to the parish church with flowers and offerings. Amid hymns and songs, the boom of fireworks and the music of mariachi and tambora bands, they bring beautiful floats and tractors decorated with the season's cornstalks as a sign of love and gratitude to the town's patron saint, also asking for her divine help in the ups and downs of everyday life.
September 15, Independence Day celebrations: right after the patron saint festivities comes another event eagerly awaited not only in the town but all over Mexico: the Grito de Independencia ceremony. After parading around the plaza and singing the national anthem, the torchbearers gather at the foot of the bandstand to cheer the heroes who gave the country its independence and freedom. There's a lively street fair, a parade of floats featuring the festival queens, dances, sports tournaments, the greased pole, ring games (a contest held by the local charros), tissue-paper hot-air balloons that float up to the amazement and delight of the local kids, donkey races and much more.
On November 2, Day of the Dead, families build altars to honor loved ones who have passed on, following the time-honored Mexican ritual. Parades also wind through the town's main streets, with participants in costumes portraying death in its many forms.
On November 20, one of the most important dates in Mexico's history (Revolution Day), it's tradition to hold a sports parade with students from every school level showing off different sports and performing arts, such as marching bands and color guards, human pyramids, rhythmic routines, gymnastics, cycling, basketball, soccer and more. Floats are also decorated to portray figures of the Revolution or scenes of everyday life in Mexico at the time, all in a festive, family-friendly atmosphere where kids are both participants and part of the crowd.
On November 22, Musicians' Day, local musicians celebrate by playing at the bandstand in the main plaza all day long.
Other traditional customs in this Pueblo Mágico include:
Heading to the main plaza on Sunday evenings to hear the serenata, while young people stroll in circles around it.
Charreadas (Mexican rodeos) and jaripeos (bull riding).
Carrying the patron saints through the fields to pray for rain.
All of this fills the streets of Mascota with joy during its festivities and draws hometown families who live far away, as well as visitors from the region, other states and even abroad, who come back year after year knowing they'll take home wonderful memories. When you visit Sierra Lago, you can also explore this Pueblo Mágico.
Plan your getaway to Sierra Lago
Staying in one of our lakeside luxury cabins lets you pair the quiet of the forest with the town's festivals and traditions. Check the weather in Mascota to choose your dates, and round out your trip with activities like horseback riding, hiking or stargazing.
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