Best Seasons to Visit Mexico City

Year round, simply spectacular.

Mexico City can be visited at any time of year, and as a winter destination it offers just as much vitality as at the height of summer (when it actually tends to rain a bit more).

In the spring (between March and May), or the fall (September to November) one avoids the extremes of cold and the rain, although May tends to be the hottest month.

Mexico City Weather

During winter months, December through February, temperatures will sometimes drop close to freezing at night and in the early morning. The rainy season in the summer months can cause heavy rains, usually for a maximum of a couple of hours and this can cause drainage problems and minor flooding and thus traffic delays.

Spring and Fall tend to be very pleasant, with warm afternoons and cooler evenings. A hat and sunscreen will make many travelers much more comfortable as the direct sunlight can be intense at almost anytime of year.

• Click here for more information on today’s weather and pollution levels.

Annual Events

Spring

• The blooming of the purple colored jacaranda trees is welcomed every year from February through the beginning of April. This makes for a very pleasant welcome for international visitors too.
• Vive Latino Music Festival – mid-March in the Foro Sol normally presenting a great variety of musical groups of different genres.
• Festival del Centro Histórico is held at the beginning of April and includes dance, music, visual arts, opera, theater and history in many of the historical sites.
• The Spring Equinox is marked annually Teotihuacán.
• Holy Week and Easter: Mexico City all but shuts down for Semana Santa and most universities will schedule something like a spring break for the same week, and sometimes for the week after Easter too. Traffic and the metro are much more forgiving.

Summer

• The annual Gay Pride Parade (Marcha del Orgullo) is scheduled for the final Saturday of each June, and makes for a very lively spectacle with celebrations in Centro and especially in Zona Rosa.
• The San Ángel Flower Fair takes up a few days in mid-June of each year and includes artistic displays, concerts, and literally, just flowers everywhere.
• The Escenica theater and dance festival takes place in August at multiple theaters and admission is free!
• The Mexico City Marathon is run on the fourth Sunday each August. This is preceded by a Half-Marathon, the last Sunday of each July.

Fall

• Gallery Weekend is a joint effort by art galleries in several prominent neighborhoods to present exhibitions with an open-doors policy (and drinks) well into the evening, on Friday and Saturday nights – continuing until Sunday afternoon.
• Mexican Independence Day is celebrated on the night of September 15 and all day on the 16th. Celebrations in the Zócalo include the Cry of Independence and festivities generally continue throughout the city into the night and all day the next day with a big military parade on the 16th.
• Day of the Dead, though officially but one day, now includes about month of festivities from mid-October through mid-November with the removal of the “mega-ofrenda” from the Zócalo on November 17, 2019.
• The music festival Corona Capital takes place over a couple of days in mid-November at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.

Winter

• The feast day of the Virgin of Guadalupe is celebrated on December 12. The Basilica of Guadalupe is the pilgrimage destination and fireworks can be heard throughout the city.
• The Christmas Season begins with Posadas, which are celebrated from the 16 to the 24th, and mot of the city will celebrate with family, colorful lights, and tradition.
• More important for kids, the Día de Reyes, (Three Kings Day) is celebrated on January 6, with gifts to the children all over Mexico.
• Visual Art Week is usually slated for February, with numerous events and arts fairs around the city. Zona MACO, among the most prominent, tends to dominate the conversation, but a number of smaller fairs and events have gained notoriety in recent years.

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