Oaxaca's Guelaguetza Festival

The Guelaguetza is a festival that takes place every July in Oaxaca. The word Guelaguetza means "offering" in Zapotec, and on this occasion representatives from the different regions of Oaxaca present the dances that are traditional to their area and at the end of the dance throw gifts, their offering to the audience.

This year Oaxaca's official Guelaguetza festival was cancelled due to a teacher's strike in town. However, the festival was celebrated in many villages outside Oaxaca. Here are some photos from this year's Guelaguetza that took place in Cuilapan de Guerrero, in front of the beautiful 16th Century Dominican convent.

_{Photo © 2006 Suzanne Barbezat, licensed to About.}