Festival de las Máscaras de Hatillo
December 28, 2026
Falls on the same rule every year: Every December 28, Holy Innocents Day
What it is
Every December 28 Hatillo fills with masked figures on horseback and in trucks that cross the town from dawn. The tradition arrived in 1823 with settlers from the Canary Islands and marks Holy Innocents Day, the massacre ordered by Herod. It became a formal festival in 1970 and today it awards prizes to the most original masked groups.
What to expect
It starts before dawn, with the comparsas touring the neighborhoods before gathering in the plaza at midday. The costumes are freely invented and that is the whole point, because each group works on theirs for months. It is one of the loudest and least touristy celebrations on the Puerto Rican calendar, and it plays out in the street from start to finish.
Getting there
Hatillo is an hour and fifteen minutes from San Juan on the PR-22, on the north coast, near Arecibo and Camuy. That day the town center closes to traffic, so you park outside and walk. It pairs well with the Cuevas del Río Camuy and the Arecibo Lighthouse if you stay overnight in the area.
Frequently asked questions
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Sources: discoveringpuertorico.com, elimparcial.com, lavozdigitalpr.com, teleonce.com
