Tahmek Gears Up for 8th International Chinese Paper Globe Festival

Mérida, Yucatán — The municipality of Tahmek is preparing to welcome an estimated 20,000 visitors for the eighth International Chinese Paper Globe Festival, scheduled for Aug. 22-23 with free admission.

The event will feature monumental paper balloons, live music, regional food, artisan crafts, local products, and family-friendly activities. Organizers announced that balloon makers and artisans from Mexico, Colombia, Indonesia, France, El Salvador, and Brazil will take part.

The program includes a performance by the State Government Band on Saturday, Aug. 22, and a closing concert by the group Megaboom on Sunday, Aug. 23. Both days are set to begin at 4 p.m.

During a press conference, Darío Flota Ocampo, Yucatán’s Secretary of Tourism Promotion, said the festival’s growth shows how a local tradition can become an opportunity for community development. “From the Maya Renaissance government of Joaquín Díaz Mena, through the Secretary of Tourism Promotion, we will continue to promote tourism that reaches more communities,” he said.

Flota Ocampo added that events like this help broaden the state’s tourism offerings, encouraging visitors to explore communities beyond well-known destinations and discover their heritage, culture, and traditions.

Tahmek Mayor Julio César Soberanis Argüelles noted that the festival attracted about 8,000 visitors per day in 2025. This year, organizers project 10,000 visitors each day, for a total of roughly 20,000 over the two-day event. He said the increase also benefits the local economy, including families, businesses, restaurants, producers, artisans, and service providers.

The festival’s signature balloons are handmade from numerous pieces of tissue paper, cut, joined, and assembled into structures that can reach about 12 meters in height. The process takes hours of work and requires the creativity and artisan knowledge of Tahmek families and groups who keep this tradition alive.