Tag Archives: folk art tour

Oaxaca Day of the Dead Folk Art Tour: October 31

We have a small van and we are ready to go! If you are in Oaxaca during Day of the Dead, we invite you to join us on this special One-Day Folk Art and Textile Tour down the Tlacolula Valley along the Pan American Highway. We start at 9 a.m. and finish around 6 p.m. We get you back to the city JIT to enjoy all the evening holiday festivities, parades and cemetery visits. We have space for 2 more people!

We are your portal to Oaxaca! This one-day customized study tour takes you beyond Oaxaca City and into the villages along the Tlacolula highway to San Pablo Villa de Mitla. We want to give you a guided cultural experience, personalized and deep. We have spent years developing relationships with the artisans we visit. This is NOT a “punch my ticket” tour.

Here is our itinerary:

  1. Stop in El Tule to visit the 3,000 year old cypress tree, a magnificent specimen noted as the oldest tree in North America.
  2. Visit a famous rug weaving family in Teotitlan del Valle that creates hand-loomed textiles with churro sheep wool that they dye with native plants and cochineal. Watch an indigo dye demonstration, try your hand at weaving on the loom, and see some amazing examples of their work.
  3. Meet a Teotitlan family cooperative that creates handwoven handbags, backpacks, tote bags and overnight bags that are made with sturdy leather straps and strong zipper closures. They also work in natural dyes!
  4. Lunch at a traditional restaurant in Teotitlan del Valle where everything is organic and prepared from scratch. They grow their own native corn, grind it and prepare delicious tortillas you can slather with salsa fresca or dip in succulent Mole Negro or Mole Coloradito. Lots of menu choices, including gluten-free and vegan
  5. Visit San Pablo Villa de Mitla for a trip into the past — we take you to an antiquities dealer, off-the-beaten-path, to explore treasures that include vintage mezcal bottles, ex-votos, jewelry, molcajetes and metates, and the serendipity of what remote villagers may bring to him on consignment.

Where and When: We pick you up at a designated Oaxaca Historic Center meeting location for 9 a.m. pick-up on October 31. We return you there by 6:00 p.m.

Cost: $195 for one person or $325 for two people. If there are more than 2 people in your party, each additional person is $165.

How to Reserve: Send us an email and tell us you want The Special Day of the Dead Folk Art Tour. We will then contact you to make your non-refundable reservation deposit. The Reservation Deposit is 25% of the total cost. For example, if one person registers, the deposit is $48.75. If two people register, the deposit is $81.25, and so on.

How to Pay Your Deposit: You can make your reservation deposit one of three ways — with Zelle, with Venmo and with PayPal. Tell us how you want to make your deposit when you say you want to register. For Zelle transfer, we will send you our account number and there is NO SERVICE FEE. For Venmo or PatyPal, we send you a request for funds and add a 3% service fee. Contact us to reserve.

Balance Due: This will be paid in cash on October 31 on the day of the tour. It can be made with either US dollars or MXN pesos at the exchange rate of the day.

Please note: Tour fees include guide services, translation from Spanish to English, and full explanation of all processes and experiences. The cost of lunch and tips is not included.

Don’t be disappointed! Space is limited. This is a small group experience, with lots of personalized explanation. Thanks for choosing Oaxaca Cultural Navigator LLC.

One-Day Ocotlan Highway Oaxaca Folk Art Study Tour

This one-day customized study tour takes you beyond Oaxaca City and into the villages along the highway to Ocotlan de Morelos, the home of famed Mexican painter and muralist Rodolfo Morales (1925-2001). We schedule this excursion based on your travel plans and our availability.

You can choose to visit four (4) of the following options from this menu of mixed media experiences:

  1. Black pottery making in San Bartolo Coyotepec
  2. A fine copal wood carver and painter (alebrijes) in San Martin Tilcajete
  3. A family of clay sculptors in San Antonino Castillo Velasco
  4. A group of embroiderers in San Antonino Castillo Velasco

We don’t go on Fridays, the frenzied day of the Ocotlan Market, when there is a crush of people and visitors and it’s too difficult to savor the experience.

What is included?

  • Transportation to/from Oaxaca City Historic Center
  • Translation
  • Expert explanations of art and craft
  • Curated visits to meet some of the best artisans we know
San Antonino embroidery and deshillado (pulled threads for lace)

Cost

$375 per day for one or two people. $175 per person additional. Does not include lunch or alcoholic beverages. You will cover the cost of lunch for those in your party.

Schedule your dates directly with Norma Schafer. You reserve for the dates you prefer. Please send us a couple of options. You are welcome to organize your own small group.  We match your travel schedule with our availability.

This is for a full day, starting at 9 a.m. when we pick you up and ending at about 6 p.m. when we return you to your Oaxaca lodging. Please provide us with hotel/lodging address and phone number.

Front door, Rodolfo Morelos home

Reservations and Cancellations

We require payment in full to secure your date. We offer you three (3) ways to pay: 1) Zelle transfer, 2) PayPal, or 3) VENMO. Please tell us which payment method you prefer and the name or phone number associated with your account. When we receive funds, we will send you confirmation and details. Be sure to send us the name and address for where you are staying.

Cancellation Policy: If you cancel five (5) full days or more before your tour, we will refund 50% of your fee via the same method you paid.