Fiesta de San Andrés Tetepilco

Very close to Colonia Portales is located this founding town of Iztapalapa. In the streets the arrival of modernity is observed, but their parties retain their candor and customs from the past.

This event is held every year on 30 November, the feast of Saint Andrew the Apostle, in San Andrés Tetepilco, Iztapalapa.

The pueblo. Tetepilco is one of the original pueblos on the western edge of Iztapalapa, now surrounded by the city but keeping its own church, its own streets and its own calendar. Its name appears in colonial-era documents, and the Códices de San Andrés Tetepilco — a set of pictorial manuscripts recording the pueblo's history and acquired by the national library in 2024 — take their name from it.

What happens. Nine days of masses before the feast, the principal mass on 30 November, and the procession carrying the image of the apostle through the streets with a band behind it. Dance groups in the atrium, a fair with food and rides over several days, and fireworks at night.

Practical notes. Metro Portales and Ermita, line 2, and Apatlaco, line 8, are within reach. The parish publishes the programme shortly beforehand. Entry is free and the fair runs on cash.