Your Long Weekend in Cuenca: 12 Things to Do Before Monday

Four days off. Beautiful weather. No work emails. Here's how to fill the time.

Cuenca packed the Labor Day weekend with enough to keep you busy from Thursday through Sunday — live music, artisan fairs, children's theater, fireworks, and a food festival to close it all out. Most of it is free.

Thursday, April 30

Trío la Comarca — Live Music

• Where: Pumaspungo bar, Puente Roto area
• When: 8:00 PM
• The deal: Live trio with a closing fiesta. Good spot to kick off the long weekend

Friday, May 1

Miski Shimi Storytelling Festival (7th Edition)

• Where: Antiguo Seminario San Luis
• When: 11:00 AM
• The deal: Oral narration and performance by Quito Eterno and Barojo. Entirely in Spanish, but the physical storytelling transcends language

Free Drawing Workshop

• Where: Parque El Recreo
• When: 2:00 PM
• The deal: Limited spots — call The Green Spot at 0978966419 to reserve

Ecuador Andino Artisan Fair (May 1–2)

• Where: CEMUART
• When: 10:30 AM onward
• The deal: Andean crafts and artisan goods. Great for gifts

Antiques Tour (May 1–3)

• Where: Ciudad de las Antigüedades, Challuabamba
• When: 11:00 AM onward
• The deal: Three days of antique browsing. Worth the short drive

After Work 1M — Live DJ

• Where: Puente Roto plaza
• When: 8:00 PM
• The deal: Free outdoor DJ set. Casual, bring a jacket for later

Saturday, May 2

Children's Theater: Historias de sol y luna

• Where: Casa Barojo
• When: 6:00 PM
• The deal: Puppets, marionettes, and masks narrating Mexican myths. Perfect for families

Fireworks — Day of the Crosses

• Where: Iglesia de Todos Santos
• When: 7:30 PM
• The deal: The Todos Santos neighborhood puts on the traditional Día de las Cruces fireworks. Free, visible from the surrounding streets

Arturo Vargas Mother's Day Mariachi Concert

• Where: Teatro de la Casa de la Cultura
• When: 8:00 PM
• The deal: Former Mariachi Vargas member Arturo Vargas performs "A ti mamá: una serenata con amor" with Mariachi Tabasco and Mariachi Sol de México. His third time in Cuenca. If you've never experienced a full mariachi production in person, this is the one

Sunday, May 3

Festival del Locro de Papa Cuencano

• Where: Gran Colombia and Benigno Malo
• When: 12:00 – 3:00 PM
• The deal: The classic Cuenca potato soup, made by the city's best. Arrive early — the good stuff runs out fast

Don't Forget the Markets

Cuenca's markets are open all weekend and they're especially lively during holidays. The standouts: 10 de Agosto for gastronomy variety, 9 de Octubre (the Heritage Market), and 27 de Febrero for papas con cuero.

Museums Too

We covered the full museum schedule yesterday — eight museums are open this weekend with exhibitions from watercolors to astronomy. Quick note: Paja Toquilla and Conceptas close after Saturday.

One More Thing

The Soccer Skills Tournament runs all three days (May 1–3) at Parque El Recreo starting at 3:00 PM. It's free, and there's a bicycle balance competition thrown in for good measure.

Enjoy the weekend, Cuenca.

Source: El Mercurio