Introduction

This former mining city is today best known for hosting one of the oldest and most famous festivals in all of Mexico, the San Marcos Fair. Spanning the last two weeks of April and the first week of May, what began in 1828 as an agricultural and livestock show has grown into a 22-day extravaganza attended by about a million people.

Located in the geographical center of the country, 338 miles northwest of Mexico City, the state of Aguascalientes is one of Mexico’s smallest states, covering just 0.3 percent of national territory, and its population barely exceeds a million inhabitants. It has a semi-dry climate and an annual average temperature of 63°F (17°C).

Surprisingly, just 13 kilometers/8 miles outside of town, on the road to Zacatecas, is one of the country’s leading wineries, Bodegas de Santo Tomas.

Aguascalientes has seen much come and go: Semi-nomadic tribes fleeing the Spanish conquerors and the silver boom on which New Spain thrived, as well as rebels, bandits and revolutionaries, not to mention the railroad. But many things stayed, especially colonial-era buildings, temples, gardens and haciendas (dedicated to agriculture or livestock).

Today Aguascalientes is home to 11 industrial parks and a markedly young population; the average age is 20. A high literacy rate, reduced bureaucracy and job stability, among other factors, have allowed the economy to grow above the national average during the past years.