Mancos in August: Feast of San Roque

Mancos takes on a festive air in August: the patron saint festival in honour of San Roque takes place alongside the district’s tourism week, from 5 to 25 August. Religious ceremonies, an agricultural and handicrafts fair, regional dishes, music, dances and competitions are spread across different days. Plan your stay around the events you want to experience. Confirm the programme dates for the relevant year before you travel.

Festival days in August

The festivities are visible on Mancos’s main streets from 5 August, when residents and municipal employees decorate them for the occasion. Evening novena Masses are held every day from 5 to 11 August. On 12 August, the programme includes an inter-institutional sports festival and the traditional visit of the sacred image to the San Roque temple. The early festival days offer different highlights: those interested in the Masses can attend during the first week, while the sports festival and temple visit are scheduled for 12 August.

On 13 August, the Alli Maqui y Hatun Sonco agricultural and handicrafts fair opens, organised by the municipal government of the Mancos district. A gastronomic festival featuring typical regional dishes also takes place that day. There is also a public dance on the Plaza de Armas and a cockfighting competition. The day therefore combines the fair and regional cuisine with other festival events. If you’re comparing different activities, 13 August is a particularly clear choice: the fair, food and dance all take place on the same day.

On 14 August, a band accompanies the procession in honour of San Roque. The programme also includes a dance competition, as well as a public dance and fireworks on the Plaza de Armas. A large Pasacalle with gifts for the patron saint follows on 15 August; a competition between professional bands is also held that day. The two days have different highlights: the procession and dance are on the calendar for 14 August, while 15 August brings the Pasacalle and band competition. If you want to experience one of these events in particular, you can plan your travel dates around it.

16 August is the main festival day. In Mancos, it includes a procession of the patron saint San Roque, a concelebrated Mass and the gathering of floral offerings by the Mayordomos. San Roque is also celebrated that day in Coracollo and Huarascucho. The festival programme also features a bullfight at the Mancos bullring, accompanied by music and dancing, starting on 16 August; a second bullfighting afternoon follows on 17 August. The main day therefore brings together religious ceremonies and other events, while the following day has its own programme highlight.

Plan your travel dates and holiday rental

When choosing your holiday rental, the main thing is which festival days you want to experience: 13 August features the fair and regional dishes, 14 August combines the procession and dances, and 16 August is the main festival day. If you want to enjoy several highlights, you can plan your travel dates to include more than one festival day. Events are spread across the period from 5 to 25 August, so the calendar is not the same every day.

Discover more destinations: Santo Toribio District, Yungay, Huarmey, Buena Vista, San Juan District, Carhuaz, Chimbote, Huari

View the broader travel guide: Ancash.