Chiantla’s feria (patronal fair) has a recurring main day in February. The Ministry of Culture and Sports records that the municipality’s festival «se celebra cada año durante el mes de febrero, siendo el 2 de febrero el día principal, en honor a Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria, patrona del municipio» [takes place each year during February, with February 2 as the main day, honoring Our Lady of Candelaria, the municipality’s patron saint] (Sistema de Información Cultural).
That February 2 is the recurring patron’s day. For 2026, Región Más reported on 20 January 2026 that the Municipality of Chiantla had announced the feria from January 25 to February 2. The 2026 edition is now past; the recurring date alone does not establish the next edition’s program.
Quick summary: The fiesta patronal de Chiantla (Chiantla patronal festival), Huehuetenango, honors Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria, with February 2 as its recurring main day. The image is known as Virgen Milagros de Plata for its silver mantle. In 2018, Prensa Libre published an estimate of unas 15 mil personas [some fifteen thousand people] arriving from Guatemala and southern Mexico. The Ministry’s recurring description includes Masses, a procession, parades, traditional dances, amusement rides and food fairs.
Quick facts
| Recurring main day | February 2 (Ministry of Culture and Sports) |
| 2026 edition | January 25 to February 2 (municipality, as reported by Región Más, 20 January 2026) |
| Honoring | Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria, the municipality’s patron saint |
| Season | February, in the Ministry’s recurring description |
| Organization | With support from the municipality of Chiantla, local parish, feria committees and civil society (Ministry of Culture) |
| Where | Chiantla, Huehuetenango, at the foot of the Cuchumatanes; the image is in the parish church of Nuestra Señora de Candelaria |
The dates: what stays fixed and what changes
| What we know | Source | |
|---|---|---|
| Patron’s day | February 2, every year | Ministry of Culture and Sports |
| Season | February, in the recurring description | Ministry of Culture and Sports |
For the department’s wider calendar, see Huehuetenango patronal fairs.
The silver-clad Virgin
The image distinguishes this feria. On February 1, 2018, Prensa Libre published an archive article about Chiantla’s patron saint with these details:
- Believers call the image Virgen Milagros de Plata (Virgin of Silver Miracles): residents say their petitions are answered, and the mantle covering the sculptures of the Virgin and the Christ Child is silver.
- Worshippers enter the parish church of Nuestra Señora de Candelaria on their knees and approach the altar.
- According to the chronicler cited by the newspaper, the image is kept in a glass chamber, and the silver mantle has seven diamonds, associated with the days of the week.
- The image stands on the high altar, on a marble table covered in silver.
For attendance, the article states: «Durante las festividades de Candelaria —2 de febrero— se calcula que llegan unas 15 mil personas desde varias partes del país y del sur de México.» [During the Candelaria festivities—February 2—an estimated fifteen thousand people arrive from different parts of the country and southern Mexico.] This is the estimate published in 2018.
What the feria includes
The Ministry of Culture describes religious activities alongside cultural and recreational events. This is its recurring description, rather than an account of what took place in 2026 or an announcement for 2027.
Religious activities:
- Solemn Masses
- Community prayers
- The procession carrying the image of Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria through the municipality’s main streets
Cultural and recreational activities:
- Parades and artistic performances
- Traditional dances
- Amusement rides
- Food fairs
- Popular contests
What had not been announced as of October 23, 2026
The 2027 program was not announced as of 23 October 2026 in the Ministry’s festival listing, which did not specify that edition’s procession date and time or admission prices.
If you are traveling for the feria, distinguish the recurring patron’s day from the activity schedule and confirm arrangements with the municipality of Chiantla or the parish.
Other February fairs
The Fraijanes feria is another February celebration. The Ministry’s Fraijanes page gives February 4 and names the Sacratísimo Corazón de Jesús (Most Sacred Heart of Jesus) as its patron. See February fairs for the month’s calendar.
Getting there
For general advice on boarding and paying, see the chicken bus guide. For context on the municipality, see the Chiantla profile.
Frequently asked questions
When is it? The recurring main day is February 2; the Ministry describes the annual celebration as taking place during February.
Who is honored? Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria, whose image is known as Virgen Milagros de Plata.
How many people visit? In 2018, Prensa Libre published an estimate of unas 15 mil personas [some fifteen thousand people] from Guatemala and southern Mexico.
Who organizes it? Activities are organized with support from the municipality, parish, feria committees and civil society.
Sources
- Ministry of Culture and Sports, SiCultura: Fiesta Patronal de Chiantla, Huehuetenango (undated)
- Región Más: Trabajos en calle principal limitan el comercio en feria de Chiantla, 20 January 2026
- Prensa Libre: Virgen de plata de Chiantla, 1 February 2018
- Ministry of Culture and Sports, SiCultura: Fraijanes, Guatemala (undated)
Related
- Huehuetenango patronal fairs — the department’s patronal fair calendar
- Huehuetenango feria — the departmental capital’s feria
- February fairs in Guatemala — the month’s patronal festivals
- Fraijanes feria — February 4, honoring the Sacratísimo Corazón de Jesús
- Chiantla — municipality profile
- Fairs today — municipalities celebrating their feria this week
