Cuenca celebrates 205 years of independence with hundreds of events over the 4-day holiday

With the end indigenous strike, Cuenca tourism officials are seeing a surge in hotel reservations in advance of the four-day Cuenca independence holiday. Events are already underway and will continue through Tuesday, November 4. The Cuenca mayor’s office says it expects 150,000 visitors during the holiday.

Cuenca’s 205 independence celebration kicks off at 8:30 Friday morning with the traditional student parade on Calle Simón Bolívar.

Among events Friday, October 31, are the traditional student parade on Calle Simón Bolívar, beginning at 8:30 a.m. In addition, craft and food fairs are being hosted in Plazas de San Francisco, San Sebastian. Santo Domingo, San Blas, Artisan Portal and Otorongo.

The crafts fairs at CIDAP, on Paseo 3 de Noviembre, feature artisans from Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Haiti, Guatemala, Chile and Paraguay as well as from 15 provinces of Ecuador.

Special Halloween tours include the Legends of the Crypts Tour at the Old Cathedral and a Ghost Route beginning at the Conceptas Museum.

The Cuenca Symphony Orchestra celebrates the city’s independence with an 8 p.m. concert at the Casa de la Cultura theater. Special guest will be the Grupo K ́Prima.

A full schedule of holiday events is available in the agenda.

On Saturday, the highlight event is the Huaynacapazo music festival, which is expected to draw 30,000 to 40,000. Concerts will be presented on four stages on Av. Huayna Cápac, beginning at 5 Saturday afternoon.

For the full agenda of holiday events, click here.

City officials are advising motorists to avoid the historic district during the holidays as many streets will be designated as pedestrian only.