Cabalgata de los Muertos San Juan del Río 2026: Riders, Photo Prizes

Cabalgata de los Muertos San Juan del Río: what happened and when we'll know who won

The Cabalgata de los Muertos San Juan del Río crossed the historic centre of this Querétaro city on Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026, with riders dressed as La Muerte, calaveras, catrinas and catrines. The winners aren't known yet: they're due on Sunday, Nov. 1, on the Jardín Independencia stage.

The ride belongs to the 20th Festival de Día de Muertos, which runs Oct. 26 to Nov. 2. N+ describes dozens of riders and horses, and municipal public security staff went along with the group.

The route:

1. Start on bulevar Paseo La Venta.
2. Along avenida Juárez.
3. A turn onto calle Hidalgo.
4. Finish near the Jardín Fundadores.

ADN40's report on the call for entries put the meeting point next to Plaza Galerías at 18:00, with the group due to leave for the centre at 19:00.

The prizes

What to check before you plan around it

• The time. ADN40's report on the call, Amanecer Querétaro and Al Minuto give 20:00, while N+ printed "8:00." We're using 20:00 as what recent reports give, so confirm it with Turismo San Juan del Río.
• The closing of the vote. None of the reports we read says when reactions stop counting or how a tie is settled.
• The names. The festival's contest list also shows an "Ecuestre de los Muertos." We couldn't confirm whether that's another name for this contest.

Don't mix it up with the catrina contest

The festival's Concurso de Catrinas is a separate event for ages 15 and up, set for Nov. 1 at 19:00 in the Jardín Independencia. It pays the same 10,000, 7,000 and 5,000 pesos, in the same garden on the same night, so a winners list from one isn't the other's.

What makes a Day of the Dead cabalgata different

A cabalgata is a group ride that usually marks a fair, a saint's day or a patriotic date. A Day of the Dead cabalgata changes three things.

• The rider is a character. Instead of showing a good horse and a good outfit, you're playing a figure from the season, and the horse is part of the costume.
• The hours shift. San Juan del Río's group was due to leave at 19:00 and Abasolo's catrina ride was listed for 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., so evening riding is common. That guide explains why horses need time to adjust to the dark.
• The ride sits inside a bigger festival. In San Juan del Río it shared a week with more than 50 activities, including contests such as plañideras (professional mourners) and the Marcha de los Muertos. Horses meet stages, sound and crowds they may not meet on a trail.

Other towns run their own version this season, such as the Cabalgata de las Ánimas in Rosarito. Rules differ, so read each town's call.

Voted vs judged: how a costume contest really works

San Juan del Río uses a voted format. A photo of each entrant is taken along the route and posted on the Turismo San Juan del Río accounts, and the three with the most positive reactions win.

A judged class works differently. The 2024 Ohio State Fair Junior Horse Show costume class is a good benchmark: judges scored 100 points, walk only, and officials could remove any costume they found hazardous.

Ohio's other points went to originality (30), time and effort (30), theme (20) and description (10).

The voted format is fun, and it gets the whole town involved. Its weak spot is that popularity, lighting and how widely a post is shared can matter as much as the costume.

If you enter a voted contest:

• Think in one image. A strong silhouette and a clear skull face read better on a phone than tiny details.
• Keep the horse calm for the camera. A relaxed horse photographs better than one forced into a pose.
• Share the official post. Follow the organizer's rules, and don't buy or trade votes.

How to dress a horse for a town-centre ride

The base rules are in our horse costume safety guide, which also covers this contest's rules on mistreatment and alcohol. Here's what changes when the costume meets a street.

• Choose the right horse. Horse Canada says to pick a quiet, experienced horse, and to desensitize it to flags, music, loud noises and pavement beforehand.
• Skip masks and loose fabric. They can tangle or flap in the wind. Skull face paint on the rider gives the look with full vision.
• Keep the horse's costume on familiar tack. Flowers should be fixed flat, and any paint should stay away from the eyes and from where the tack sits.
• Wear a helmet and real boots. A sombrero isn't head protection, even if tradition favors it.
• Check the feet. Smooth pavement can be slick for a shod horse, so talk to your farrier before the ride, and stay at a walk.
• Keep your gap. You should see the whole tail of the horse in front, without drifting so far back that yours feels alone.
• Have an exit plan. If your horse gets too stressed, get off and lead it. That's good judgment, not a failure.

Our groundwork section and safety guides cover the handling basics.

How to watch a cabalgata safely

Riders aren't the only ones who affect how a street ride goes. If you're on the sidewalk:

• Stay back on the sidewalk, and never cut between horses or behind them.
• Keep children close and hold their hands.
• Turn off your flash, especially after dark.
• Keep balloons, firecrackers and noisemakers away from the group.
• Ask a rider before you pet a horse or take a photo beside it, and don't feed it.
• If a horse spooks, step back calmly. Don't run or shout.

What to watch next, and how to prepare for next year

The next date is Sunday, Nov. 1, when the results are due. Follow Turismo San Juan del Río for the photo, the results and any change of time.

A future edition hasn't been announced. If the ride returns, the 2026 call is your best guide:

1. Early October: look for the calls on the accounts of the Presidencia Municipal, the Coordinación de Desarrollo Económico and Cultura San Juan del Río.
2. Registration: in 2026 it was free and in person at the Oficina de Turismo, Portal del Diezmo, Av. Juárez Oriente 15, Monday to Friday, 8:30 to 15:30. It closed on Oct. 28 at 15:30.
3. Paperwork: a photocopy of your INE card was required. No age rules were reported, and an INE is an adult ID, so ask about minors.
4. Costume: the theme was free, but horse and rider both needed Day of the Dead elements.
5. Logistics: each participant handled the care and transport of their own horse. Plan your trailer and water before you sign up.
6. Rehearsal: start weeks ahead, one costume piece at a time.

For more rides like this one, see trends.