Tuxpan, Michoacán

Tuxpan is a small village in between Zitácuaro and Ciudad Hidalgo in the Mexican state of Michoacán.

The only evidence found of when the Otomi people lived in Tuxpan are some archaeological artifacts that can be traced back to some centuries BC.

In 1200 AD the Otomi of Tuxpan formed part of a 340 town strong Purépecha Empire.

As part of the Purépecha Alliance, the 300 men strong Tuxpan fought against the thousands of Aztec soldiers.

Aside from the typical Mexican dishes (quesadillas, tacos, and tamales), the culinary specialty this time of the year is a pasta which is in fact a type of vanilla ice cream.

A beauty pageant is organized by the town every year to select a girl worthy of representing Tuxpan during the festivities.

On the first Tuesday after the Sábado de Carreras, the town has a unique parade in which all sorts of people participate.

The queen of the beauty pageant along with the runner-up and the third-place winner make up an important part of the parade.

People from all over enjoy climbing the stairs to the pinnacle and are rewarded by a majestic view of the entire valley.