Playa del Carmen Prepares Third Janal Pixán Festival With 300 Artists and Two Parades

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — Playa will honor its dead with monumental altars, two large parades and more than 300 performers during the third edition of its Janal Pixán celebration, running from Oct. 31 to Nov. 3.

Mayor Estefanía Mercado’s administration is backing the event through the Municipal Institute of Culture and the Arts of Playa del Carmen (IMCAP), the DIF family services agency, and the departments of Tourism, Public Services and Economic Development, along with the city’s entertainment office.

Ernesto Santiago Martínez Cuéllar, who heads the municipal culture institute, announced the program at a news conference. The artistic and musical lineup, titled “Pixano’ob, Sáasilo’ob. Finados, Seres de Luz,” will take over the stage at Plaza 28 de Julio, the festival’s main venue.

Two parades and a packed stage

Two grand parades will wind through the city. The first sets out on Nov. 1 from the corner of Quinta Avenida and Constituyentes and ends at Plaza 28 de Julio. The second departs Nov. 2 from Parque Lázaro Cárdenas and finishes at the municipal cemetery. Both begin at 6 p.m.

Speaking on the mayor’s behalf, Martínez Cuéllar invited residents to enter the festival’s contests: Pixán Peek for pets, Alebrijes for children and Catrín and Catrina for couples. Prizes across all categories total 90,000 pesos.

Eduardo Asencio and Deyanira Martínez, the DIF’s honorary president and general director, said staff will hand out portions of pan de muerto, traditional pib and chocolate on those dates. The agency will also set up a module offering guidance and family services.

Tourism director Fabiana Briseño said her team will travel to the Casa de Quintana Roo in Mexico City next week to launch a promotional campaign aimed at drawing as many visitors as possible to the celebration.

Estefanía Hernández, secretary of Economic Development and Investment Attraction, highlighted the participation of about 100 local entrepreneurs, who will sell food and environmentally focused products to families attending the event.