Peru is a nation with a rich history and a very vibrant present. With our cultural events calendar, you can plan your trip to Peru with precision. Apus Peru Adventure Travel Specialists can assist you to visit any one of these special events.

Note: This list is by no means exhaustive and doesn't include some important saint's days or corpuses. Some dates may not be correct - many are determined depending on when Easter falls. Others are specific dates. We have more extensive information about many of these events, and would be delighted to email it to you. Contact us at apusperu@westnet.com.au

january

2008 January 6 / 2009 January 4

- Bajada de los Reyes (Epiphany) - celebrated most colourfully in Ollantaytambo. The Visit of the Wise Men This religious festivity coincides with the taking of power of the Varayoc whose authority is given to his successor with a silver-tipped staff as a symbol. There is a procession in which two images, The Christ Child and San Isidro the farmer are walked around the city. A bullfight takes place in the afternoon.

20 January - Chiaraje -This is a festival of ritual battles that are supposed to give life to Pachamama, Mother Earth, and for the people receive her favors during the harvest.

20 january - festival of san sebastian, san sebastian, cusco

february

February 1 - 14 February 2 (approx) Virgen de la Candelaria in Puno. Very colourful celebration of dancers. One of the most famous events in Peru. FiestaThis is one of the most important religious celebrations to honor the Virgin of the Candelaria. The Central day is on February the 2nd. Approximately 50 musical groups from all over Puno perform wearing very attractive costumes. It is a beautiful combination of colors, beauty and high spirit.

2008 February 2- 5 / 2009 February 21- 24

Festival Carnavalesco - Carnival. Carnaval is most famous in Rio de Janeiro but its also quite popular in Cusco and the Sacred Valley. All through the month of February, the Pukllay or Game can be seen in the city. The carnival begins with the "Day of Compadres" in which people display their joy with flowers, paint, and water. As locals get into the spirit of things… expect to get wet! The ritual of "yunsada"" is widespread. A specially-transplanted tree is bedecked with gifts, and guests dance around it before it is ceremoniously felled. The couple who strike the final blow of the axe to bring down the tree are given the honour of organising next year's celebrations. The yunsada or yunza is more frequently seen in rural areas than in the City of Cusco. In Cusco you are more likely to see dances on the "octavo" - the eighth day after Carnival.

march/april

2008 17 march/ 2009 6 april.

Monday before Easter - Lord of the Tremors/Earthquakes (Senor de los Temblores). Tradition says that this depiction of Christ carried around the Plaza de Armas of Cusco during an Earthquake saved the city. The Plaza is packed full of people every year on this special day.

good friday 2008 March 21/ 2009 April 10

Easter Week (Semana Santa - Holy Week) is celebrated all over the world. In Peru, the celebrations are most famous in the provincial city of Ayacucho, about 2 days travel (by bus) from Cusco.

In Cusco, the Holy Week is one of the examples of the Spanish heritage. On Monday, the biggest religious procession takes place in Cusco. "El Señor de los Temblores" is walked around the main streets of Cusco followed by thousands of people. During the rest of the week, Death and Resurrection are remembered through processions, the preparation of the Twelve Dishes and fasting.

Holy Week is incredibly beautiful in Ayacucho and celebrated with great pomp and the religiosity of the people can be felt in the air. During the week there are many processions and people participate with a lot of devotion.

may

May 2 - 3 Cruz Velacuy/ Velakuy - Festival of the Crosses

This is a religious festivity also brought by the Spanish. Crosses are adorned with flowers and ribbons. People venerate the crosses during the night, they pray, and the crosses are carried to churches where they are blessed. Groups of musicians and dancers accompany the crosses.

Last week of May/early June

Cusquena Beer Festival

This festival is celebrated in May or June every year. They have important national and international artists and musicians. Young people from all over the country travel to Cusco to participate. It takes place in the Garden of the Beer of Cusco (Culture Avenue). The festival lasts three days.

june

First week of June - Festival of OllantayRaymi - the depiction of the Ollantay drama, dances and typical dishes in the town of Ollantaytambo.

Señor de Lord of Colloritty/Qoyllur Riti - Lord of Qoyllur Riti One week before Corpus Christi (approx). A pilgrimage to a site in the Ausangate region. Qoyllur Riti or Snow Star constitutes an important manifestation of religiosity in the Andes. The blending of Spanish and Indigenous elements is interesting: The Apus or mountain-gods and the crosses.
Pilgrims walk for about 4 hours, they have to pass by 9 crosses and shrines. The Sanctuary is located in Sinakhara, at about 4600 m. The crowd takes a purification bath which is needed in order to enter a spiritual dimension where both the energy of deities and men join.

Second sunday in June

(or the week leading up to the Second sunday in June)

Festival of Q'eswachaka (more info)

In the three days before the principal day of the fiesta, the local people rebuild a narrow bridge built of straw. this event has occured since Inca times. Men, women and chldren from a range of communities build the bridge and are dedicated to the collection of straw, native plants, plaiting the straw and weaving it to make the bridge. they build the bridge over the spectacular Apurimac river and on the fourth day of the festival (the Sunday) all the communties of Canas province join together in a folklore festival.

Corpus Christi

2008 may 22/ 2009 june 11

Inti Raymi - 24 June / Fiestas of Cusco 16- 24 June

Inti Raymi is probably the most famous event in the Cusco calendar, and celebrates the Inca's rite of the winter solstice. However the week preceding Inti Raymi probably has more meaning for contemporary Cusquenos, with different parades every night of the week, fireworks and concerts in the Plaza de Armas. Cusquenos of all walks don their ponchos (mostly red) and march, while the rainbow coloured flag of Tahuantinsuyo is hung proudly from each house.

June 18 to 30 Feria Agropecaria Huancaro

A must for those with an interest in agriculture! Regional, national and international exhibitors present their products in this traditional fair. Musical groups from varied music styles perform open-air. There is also a Festival of the 13 Provinces of Cusco whose representatives prepare typical food, and play typical music.

28 June - Day of San Pedro and San Pablo

july

Virgen del Carmen - 16 July

26 July - Corpus of Santiago

27 July - Corpus of San Ana

28 July- Fiestas Patrias (National holiday) Most towns have lots of parades and bands.

28 & 29 July - Yawar Fiesta A ritual bullfight, during the "Fiestas Patrias" in the town of Cotabambas, in the Apurimac department. (Contact us to visit this interesting festival).

august

Corpus of San Cristobel - 2nd August

Andean New Year - 1st August

Corpus of Almudena - 8th August

Virgen de Ausunta - 16th August

Around Cusco the Virgen de Asunta is very big in Qoya, which is located in the Sacred Valley half way between Calca and Pisac.

Santa Rosa de Lima feast day - 30th August

a national holiday and "huge" in lima. be around the plaza de armas at midday for a very emotive procession. always a place of refuge from the busy lima streets, the sanctuary of santa rosa de lima on avenida tacna is also a good place to go on the feast day.

september

Virgen de Natividad - 8 September

Is celebrated in many small rural towns and villages but in the Cusco region the festival of the Virgen of Natividad is particularly big in Chincheros.

Senor de Huanca (Lord of Huanca) - 14 September A pilgrimage overnight from Cusco to the shrine of Lord of Huanca. Very interesting opportunity to see a combination of catholicism and local traditions

Third Sunday in September (approx)

Warachikuy- 19 September 2007

Corpus of San Jeronimo - 30 September

october

the purple month - Lord of the Miracles. Those that follow Senor de los Milagros wear purple. The depiction of Christ is carried through the streets. Celebrated more fervently in Lima than in Cusco. (Also very popular in Santa Cruz, Bolivia). Starts on 18th of October in Lima.

Señor de Luren Festival - Ica

Celebrated in Ica every third week of October. The origin of the devotion for the crucified Christ of Luren (Señor de Luren), patron of the city of Ica (300 km south of Lima), dates back to 1 570, when the image was mysteriously lost in the desert during a trip from Lima to Ica, before reappearing in a desolate outpost called Luren. Later, Nicolás de Ribera the Elder, Lima's first mayor, had a small church built in this spot as well as a hospital for highland Indians. Today, the modern church, built in a Romanticist style, houses the carved wooden image of the dying Christ, as well as those of the Virgin Mary and Mary Magdalene.On the main day of the festival, Sunday, the image is borne aloft in a procession through the city from nightfall until dawn the following day.

Virgin of the Rosary - October 10
Preparation of Pachamancas in Quispicanchis and Canchis

november

1 November - All Saints Day (Dia de los Muertos). Celebrated by families by buying bread baked in the shapes of dolls and horses, and taking these to the cemetary. Pork is specially prepared on this day.

december

Christmas season- Chocolatadas - in the true spirit of Christmas, Cusquenos give to the poor and needy. See Cultural Extensions for more information.

24 December - Santikuraray "the selling of the saints" held every Christmas Eve

From 24 December to January 6 - Nacimientos /Nativity Scenes. Seen in all the churches of Cusco and most homes as well. (see Christmas explanation)

December 31 - New Years Eve - many discoteks and bars have special nights but the place where it all happens is in the Plaza de Armas of Cusco. About 11.30pm locals begin to gather in order to run around the Plaza as the clock strikes 12!

Senor de Colloritty is held in the irst week of June.

Above, and below. Inti Raymi is held annually at the spectacular fortress of Sacsayhuaman.

San Sebastian

virgen of almudena paraded through the streets of cusco

Pictures from the Virgen del Carmen celebrations! 16 july each year!

photos from the feast day of santa rosa de lima, patron saint of the americas

NATIONAL HOLIDAYS IN PERU (Just a small collection of thoughts! Not comprehensive but may be useful to the inquisitive traveller).

Pisco Day on Monday 23rd July
In the Parque de la Exposición or Exhibition Park (Downtown) the customs of colonial Lima will be on show early in the day and so will be the many varieties of food and drink based on the Peruvian brandy. (Pisco) Later on that day dance shows of "marinera limeña" sort of classical old dance from the time where limeños put on really refined parties. In the late afternoon "cajón" or wooden box is played by the most recognized artist. Aha, wooden box is played in Peru first and then goes to Spain.

Some other alternatives

From 24th until 31st the Casona San Marcos (Downtown, 2 blocks east from Plaza San Martin) great number of activities.

Centro Cultural de España, in the neighbourhood of Santa Beatriz (right next to Downtown and 6 blocks south from Exhibition Park in front of the US Ambassador Official Residency) will offer concerts and plays during 24, 25, 26, 27th.

The TRAIN from Lima to Huancayo will run on July 27th.
Buy tickets at least 2-3 days in advance at the teleticket counters in the entrance area of the "Metro" and "Wong" supermarkets. (there is a conveniently located Metro in the old center, and a Wong in Miraflores).

Celendin, between Chachapoyas and Cajamarca, has its main fiesta a few days later, ending around August 4. There are daily bullfights in an unreal rickety 4-storey wooden arena.

Huamachuco, between Cajamarca and Trujillo, will have the "Waman Raymi", a huge historic play similar to the "Inti Raymi" in Cuzco, on August 12. Very few foreigners go there, and there is a lot of local flavour ,with most of the visitors from adjacent villages dressed in traditional clothes, and abundant local food and drinks sold at foodstalls around the event.

The 8th annual Great River Amazon Raft Race Adventure for 2006 will be held on Sept. 22nd, 23rd, and 24th, 2006. It will be the longest raft race in the world, on the largest river in the world. It will begin at the town of Nauta, on the Marañon River, turn northward on the Amazon River and finish on the third day at the boulevard in front of Iquitos, approximately 120 miles down stream.

APUS PERU Adventure Travel Specialists - Email: apusperu@westnet.com.au

© A.Svenson 2005. The design, content and photographs (except where noted) are 100% original. The majority of our treks were designed by Apus Peru.