Schedule

Planning Your Festival Days Around the Schedule

A three-day festival rewards a little planning. Mole is rich, layered and filling, so pacing yourself matters as much as choosing which stalls to visit. Many visitors find it helps to treat each day differently rather than trying to taste everything at once.

Choosing your time slots

Friday evening tends to suit people coming straight from work, and the shorter tasting window means it is a good moment for a focused first look. Saturday offers the longest stretch of tasting hours, which makes it the natural day for a slower, more thorough visit. Sunday closes earlier, so arrive with enough time to revisit favourites before the stalls pack up.

Making the most of demonstrations

Cooking demonstrations are a chance to see how a mole comes together: toasting dried chiles, grinding seeds and spices, and slowly cooking the paste until it deepens in colour and flavour. Arrive a few minutes early to find a spot with a clear view, and consider scheduling a tasting round straight afterwards so you can compare what you watched with what the vendors serve. If a demonstration inspires you, our recipes page is a good place to continue at home.

Pacing your tasting

• Start with lighter or fruitier styles before moving to darker, more intense moles.
• Share plates with friends so you can sample more varieties.
• Keep water handy; chiles and spices add up over an afternoon.
• Use the music sets as natural breaks between tasting rounds.

Getting around

Weekend afternoons are often the busiest, so allow extra travel time in Mexico City traffic and consider public transport. Before you go, check the festival map to locate stalls and stages, and browse the vendor list to note which moles you most want to try. Times can occasionally shift, so confirm details closer to your visit.