Cabalgata de Catrinas 2026: Abasolo's Day of the Dead Horseback Ride

Cabalgata de Catrinas in Abasolo: date, time and meeting point

The Cabalgata de Catrinas y Catrines is a night horseback procession listed for Friday, October 30, 2026, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., meeting at the entrance to the community of Rancho Nuevo de la Cruz in Abasolo, Guanajuato. This cabalgata de catrinas opens the free Festival de las Almas, which runs through November 1.

Guanajuato's state tourism listing invites people to watch the procession or join in catrín or catrina dress. The ride is the first big moment of the weekend, not the last.

Local outlet Funicular also promises a five-meter Catrina Monumental, music and expressions of Xantolo, the Day of the Dead tradition of Mexico's Huasteca region. It describes the festival's cultural and artistic activities as free.

What hasn't been published

We checked the state listing, Funicular and a Day of the Dead roundup by municipality from Periódico Correo. None of them gives:

• The route or the distance
• How many riders are expected
• Who organizes the ride
• Whether you need to bring your own horse
• Any age limits or riding rules

Don't guess at any of these. If you plan to take part, ask Abasolo's municipal channels or the state tourism office directly. The state listing links to the Abasolo Comunica Facebook page.

Don't confuse it with the other Abasolo catrina contest

Abasolo has a second Day of the Dead event this season. Local news site Notus reported that the municipal government's 3rd Festival de Día de Muertos scheduled a catrina contest for Thursday, October 29, at 7:00 p.m., with prizes of up to 7,000 pesos.

That contest isn't the November 1 costume contest at Rancho Nuevo de la Cruz. Check which event you're reading about before you rely on any rule or prize.

What is a catrina cabalgata?

A catrina cabalgata is a group ride in which people on horseback dress as catrinas and catrines, the elegant skeletons of Mexico's Day of the Dead. It joins two traditions that started separately.

The catrina

The figure comes from a skeleton bust in a flowered hat by engraver José Guadalupe Posada. According to a bulletin from INAH, Mexico's national institute of anthropology and history, it was first printed in October 1913, months after Posada died.

Posada didn't name it. The title “Calavera catrina” appears in a 1930 monograph of his work with an introduction by Diego Rivera. Rivera later painted her full-length, in her big hat, at the center of his mural Sueño de una tarde dominical en la Alameda Central.

The popular story says she mocked Mexicans who put on European airs, and a “catrín” is a well-dressed man. INAH's bulletin warns that many tales about her online are false, so the safest summary is simple: she's a skeleton dressed for high society, and death comes for everyone anyway.

The cabalgata

A cabalgata is a group ride that marks a fair, a saint's day or a patriotic date. In rural Mexico, it's also a way for a community to show its horses and its pride.

The Abasolo listing frames the ride as a celebration of local traditions and roots. Other towns are doing their own version, including the night cabalgata in Villahermosa.

Catrina costume on horseback: how to dress without bothering the horse

The costume has to work in the saddle, not just in photos. The U.S. Pony Clubs' advice is the right starting point: never trade safety for the look, and let your horse meet the costume well before the event.

Rules that cover almost any costume

• Start with the helmet. Pony Club says never to compromise helmet fit for a costume, so build the outfit around it. A sombrero isn't head protection.
• Drop the mask. Horse Canada's parade guide says no masks or loose fabric. Skull makeup gives the same effect with full vision.
• Stay secure, but breakaway. Each piece should hold during normal riding and come off easily in an emergency.
• Nothing sharp or stiff. Avoid wires, pointed crowns and hard edges that could jab you or the horse.
• Keep real boots on. A heeled riding boot beats any costume shoe.
• Keep the horse's costume simple. Use its regular gear as the base, or stick with braids and a few flowers. Any paint or glitter should be non-toxic and wash out, and it should stay away from the eyes.

Rehearse at home

Put on the full outfit and let the horse look and sniff from the ground. Then ride it at a walk in an enclosed space, and add movement a little at a time. Our groundwork section has the basics.

A Horse&Rider tip worth keeping: if your horse overreacts on the day despite your preparation, don't push through it, because there will be other parades. Horse Canada adds that if a horse gets too stressed mid-ride, you should get off and lead it.

Night ride basics: lights, reflectors and how horses see

Don't assume a horse sees well in the dark. EQUUS reports that once adjusted, horses make out little more than dim edges, and that their eyes take about 45 minutes to adapt, compared with about 25 for people.

That changes how you plan the evening:

• Arrive before dark so your horse's eyes adjust gradually and the surroundings aren't a surprise.
• Avoid sudden light changes. Keep your horse back from any stage lights, and don't aim a flashlight at any horse's face.
• Be seen, too. No lighting rule is published for this ride. As a benchmark, the UK's Highway Code advises against riding on the road at night at all. For anyone who does, it calls for reflective clothing, reflective bands above the horse's fetlocks, and a light showing white to the front and red to the rear.
• Fix lights so they can't move. A battery LED string that swings or slips will bother the horse and can snag. Make sure wires are tucked in, and test everything at home.
• Check the ground. Pavement and uneven roads are harder to judge at night, so stay at a walk.

Keep the same spacing you would by day. Horse Canada suggests staying far enough back to see the whole tail of the horse ahead, but not so far that yours feels left behind.

Spectator manners at a catrina cabalgata

The listing welcomes spectators, and good manners keep everyone safe.

• Stay out of the blind spots. Horses can't see well directly in front of their noses or directly behind them.
• Ask before you touch. Get the rider's OK before petting a horse or taking a photo beside it, and don't pull on the tack.
• Don't feed the horses, not even a small treat.
• Turn off your flash. A sudden burst of light in the dark can startle a horse.
• No firecrackers, balloons or noisemakers near the riders.
• Hold children's hands and stay on the sidewalk or shoulder. Read our guide to horse safety for kids.

What to do next

The next date on the program is Sunday, November 1, with the Gran Desfile de Catrinas y Catrines, the costume contest and closing dances. No time is published, and the sources don't say whether horses take part in the parade.

1. Check Abasolo's municipal channels for the November 1 time and contest details.
2. Wait for that time before you plan your trip, and bring a layer in case the day runs into the evening.
3. If you're thinking about riding in a future cabalgata, begin rehearsing costumes weeks ahead.
4. Review our safety and tack and equipment guides, and see more stories in trends.