The Tewales Festival in La Paz traces its roots to the Baja California Sur Fantastic Festival (FFBCS), a recent cultural initiative inspired by Mexico’s famous alebrijes. The name “Tewal,” which means “big thing” in Cochimí, one of Baja California’s Indigenous languages, was chosen to describe the monumental sculptures featured in the event. The festival promotes folk art, environmental awareness, and regional cultural identity, with a strong focus on marine conservation.
The purpose of the Tewales Festival is to honor artisans and traditions, raise awareness about local marine life, and preserve cultural heritage. The first edition took place in 2024, featuring a parade of these massive sculptures along the La Paz Malecón as part of the Festival of Cultural Fairs.
While not an ancestral tradition, the Tewales Festival has quickly become a modern celebration of Baja California Sur’s identity. It blends artistry and environmental consciousness through powerful visual storytelling rooted in local language and symbolism.
The inspiration behind the Tewales comes from alebrijes, brightly colored folk art sculptures of fantastical creatures. Originally created from papier-mâché by artist Pedro Linares in Mexico City, alebrijes were later reimagined by Oaxacan artisans as carved wooden figures representing spiritual guides, protectors, and dreamlike beings from Mexican folklore. Their vibrant forms, often with wings, horns, and animal hybrids, embody the country’s imagination and deep connection to nature.
Alebrijes are believed to serve as spiritual guides or dream guardians, linked to Indigenous cosmology and the spirit world, though not limited to Day of the Dead traditions. They gained global recognition thanks to artists like Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo, and more recently through their appearance in Disney’s Coco, where they were portrayed as spirit guides to the afterlife.
Those interested in joining this year’s festival can find participation guidelines at www.FestivalFantasticoBCS.org. Teams are invited to design and build their own monumental sculptures to be showcased in the event.
The official festival dates have yet to be announced, but it is typically held in May or June. Stay tuned for updates on one of La Paz’s most imaginative and colorful celebrations.
