Palm Sunday Artisan Market in Uruapan, Mexico- March 24-31, 2026

Join Heritage by Hand from March 24- 31, 2026 in Mexico City and Uruapan, Michoacán as we visit the largest artisan market in Latin America, The Tianguis del Dia de Ramos, or the Palm Sunday Artisan Market, has been held in the central plaza of Uruapan, Michoacán, Mexico for decades.

Anywhere from 1500-1600 artisans in all media from across Michoacán and neighboring states travel to Uruapan during the Easter holidays to spend two weeks creating a vibrant open-air market. The event is not only focused on artisanal crafts, but regional foods, music and dance. The event includes a parade where each community shows off traditional dress on Saturday the 27th.

Over the weekend, there are other special events in Uruapan that we will visit. Michoacán is well-known for its State Artisan Competition which happens on the 26th in the House of Culture. The event focuses on local pottery traditions such as the famous pineapples and candelabras from San Jose de Gracia. We will attend the event after the judging ends where everyone will have an opportunity to meet the artists and purchase from the winners. They can crate and ship pieces directly. 

Uruapan is also home to the Antigua Fábrica de San Pedro, a large textile mill that has been turned into a foundation and art exhibition space founded by the Mexican artist Javier Marín. Two years ago, they held a Graciela Iturbide exhibition which she attended, so everything they do is worth visiting. The space is gorgeous and includes a lovely store focused on modern handmade goods and some of Javier Marín's artwork, if you are a collector.

Aside from the artisan market, we will visit local museums, take a day to visit Lake Patzcuaro on our return and also find time to stop by Santa Clara del Cobre to visit some new artists I am beginning to work with who do amazing things with copper.

Our trip will begin in Mexico City, where we will plan a day in the city focused on art, design, architecture or handmade crafts, depending on everyone's interests. We will have private transportation all week. The trip to Uruapan from Mexico City should not take more than 3-4 hours depending on traffic.

On our return trip to Mexico City, we can have a leisurely day and return to the city by 5 pm.

General Information

The program fee includes transportation to and from Uruapan and all transportation in Mexico City. We can include a translator aside from your guide if needed during the events so we can all follow our interests. Speaking fees for artists or studio tours that we may do are included.

Participants will cover their own flights and lodging costs, most meals, and transfer to and from the airport.

You will arrive on the afternoon of Tuesday, March 24th, and our itinerary will begin that evening. A list of apartments in Parque Mexico will be provided so all participants are in the same location. 

We will have some flexibility in our routine to take advantage of opportunities that arise, but will have a general schedule that varies day by day. There will be a decent, but not overly taxing, amount of walking (10,000 steps +/-) , and participants should be aware of that.

Please write for more details.

Palm Sunday Artisan Market Dates:

Tuesday, March 24- Tuesday, March 31, 2026

Arrival is Tuesday, March 24th, 2026 in Mexico City

Departure is Wednesday from Mexico City, April 1, 2026

Pricing:

$1,300 (Deposit $700)

Deposits due by February 15th

Final payments due March 1st

Health and Activity Levels

There will be a decent, but not overly taxing, amount of daily walking (10,000+ steps), and participants should be aware of that. Mexico City is a mile-high city, so participants should be aware of altitude changes and may want to arrive one day early to adjust if you have health concerns. Uruapan is at a similar elevation and there will be a lot of walking around the plaza throughout the weekend.