A Fair in the Shoe Capital of the World

The holiday season is over but there are more celebrations to enjoy in Mexico in the beginning of the New Year. January is the time to remember the founding of the city of Leon, which is located in the Mexican State of Guanajuato. This day also commemorates Saint Sebastian, the patron saint of the city. On January 20, 1576, Viceroy Don Martin Enriquez de Almanza founded Villa de Leon as a strategic way to deal with the Chichimeca communities that were invading.

Almost three centuries later, Leon officially became a city. Because of the war of independence in 1830, many workers abandoned the mines in Guanajuato and choose to work in the handcraft and shoe industry. Today, Leon is well-known as the shoe capital of the world because of the great number of shoes and leather factories located there.

A three week fair to showcase Guanajuato and its traditions to the rest of the world is held from January 9 to February 3, 2009.  Beautiful colonial buildings beside modern architecture and wide boulevards provide the scenic background for you to celebrate one more edition of the largest fair in Mexico. The Leon Fair 2009 is a great option for families since it has choices for all types of audiences. Different venues will host music performances, handicraft exhibitions, and very traditional activities such as livestock exhibits and the most important shoe marketplace in Mexico. Every year, the fair receives thousands of visitors from different Mexican cities as well as from abroad.