Hay Festival Comunitario offers a program of free and open-entry interactive activities for children, youth, and adults, with events in the 7 delegations.
Event FiltersYou are viewing events filtered byHay Festival Comunitario QuerétaroReset all filters
Event HFC1
Event with Elaine Vilar Madruga
A red balloon in your window
–
DIF Carmelita Ballesteros
The prolific Cuban author Elaine Vilar Madrugawill be talking to a group of secondary school pupils about Un globo rojo en tu ventana. As well as discussing the book, she will share insights into her creative process as a writer and offer various tips to help the young people learn how to create their own stories.
Pol Guasch in conversation with Margarita Aguilar Urbán
On mourning
–
DIF Plan Vida
“I would have appreciated a note.” Thus begins Reliquia, beneath which lies a question: is it possible to find the words for a farewell that never took place? Ten years after his father’s suicide, Pol Guaschwrites his first work of non-fiction, in which he seeks to understand and reconstruct, whilst reflecting on farewells and on those who leave without saying goodbye. Yet “sometimes there are no final words to bring anything to a close”. Event in conversation with Margarita Aguilar Urbán.
Paulina Chavira Mendoza and Juan Jesús Garza Onofre in conversation with Diana González
Another football is possible
–
Casa de la Cultura Epigmenio González
The 2026 Men’s World Cup has now come to an end. Spain won the title in what may well have been Messi and Ronaldo’s swansong; Mexico made us dream again… But let’s pause for a moment and take a critical look at football: racism and homophobia on the pitch and in the stands; violence cloaked in the guise of passion; and blatant structural corruption. In Otro futbol es posible, Paulina Chavira Mendoza and Juan Jesús Garza Onofrenot only highlight these failings, but also propose alternatives —many inspired by women’s football— for a fairer and more humane game.
There is no need to be an established writer with a literary award, or an influencer with a million followers, to get started. Your perspective is unique, your everyday life has value, and we all have a story to tell. This space is for discovering how to put your ideas into words and connect with the world. This workshop is a hands-on laboratory about the move from being a spectator to being a creator. You will learn to overcome your fear of the blank page (or the blank screen) and transform your experiences, tastes, favourite memes and witty ideas into compelling content, whether it’s a short story, a video script or a digital text that will captivate anyone. With Jorge Jole Hernández, founder of Playground.
Gustavo Puerta Leisse (Venezuela) is one of those authors who knows exactly how to strike the right chord when speaking to children. A philosophy lecturer, editor at Ediciones Modernas el Embudo, literary critic and specialist in children’s literature, he is also the author of books such as Sentimientos encontrados.
María Galindo in conversation with María Connie Garrido Sicilia
Feminisms: campaign, provoke, act
–
Casa de la Cultura Cayetano Rubio
Defining María Galindo(Bolivia) is to talk about anarcho-feminism; about the Mujeres Creando movement; the idea of the “tecnoshaman”; and about books such as Feminismo bastardo, Ninguna mujer nace para puta and No se puede descolonizar sin despatriarcalizar. About occupying the streets, as if they were trenches; about deconsecrating the academy; and disputing feminism from the south and from the periphery; all through activism, campaigning and provocation. There are many “Galindos” in this unmanageable writer, whom we will meet at this event with Connie Garrido Sicilia.
Manuel Marsol’s (Spain) father passed away when he was just 11 years old. This event has left its mark on the work of this illustrator, who expresses his affection for his father through memories and through fantasy. He did so in the illustrated book Astro, an allegory about the love between a father and a son, told through the story of a stranded astronaut who finds himself on a distant planet under the care of an alien. Attendees will create a collective drawing with the author, inspired by the book's landscapes and characters.
Ages 6 to 12
Free event for closed group
With the support of Acción Cultural Española, AC/E
Discovering the Alameda is an experiential learning programme designed using the Caminalee methodology, which aims to spark children’s curiosity about urban biodiversity, strengthen their sense of belonging, and promote care for our natural heritage through experiences that combine storytelling, exploration, observation and creativity. Participants will explore the Alameda Hidalgo like true explorers, discovering that this historic space is home to a surprising wealth of trees, birds and wildlife that often goes unnoticed. The activity combines an interpretative walk, reading, guided observation and hands-on activities that transform knowledge into a meaningful experience.
This is a unique opportunity to enjoy the poetry of Gilraen Eärfalas. The acclaimed author of best-selling works such as No me llames loca and Desfibrilador will present her most recent poems at an intimate gathering, a poetry recital designed specifically for neurodivergent people. The poems in De anatomía poética speak to wounded hearts and aim to heal the aching soul. As in this verse taken from the book: “Let the autopsy say what it will / for my life ended before my death”.
What did Mexico sound like in the past? The water drum, the yokotan drums, the Mayan conch shell trumpet, the Cora turtle shell, the Jarocha and Huasteca jaranas… Carolina Zúñiga Zúñiga will introduce the children attending to indigenous and rural musical groups and instruments through a participatory workshop, in which the audience will listen to these instruments, play them, dance to their rhythms, and even stamp their feet during the musical narration of the story Bemberecua de Honorio Robledo.
Presentation of stories and illustrations at Otra Bandita
Imagining Donxu’s child
–
La Otra Bandita
One question has captured the imagination of dozens of children and teenagers in Queretaro in recent weeks: what is a day in the life of Donxu the doll’s child like? Having received countless stories and drawings brimming with imagination, the time has come to present them to the public.
Letra Capital presents the 'Cajas de Agua' collection
–
Alameda Hidalgo
Letra Capital, the Querétaro Municipal Publishing Fund, presents Cajas de agua, its children's book collection. Proudly created in Querétaro, these books will also be distributed free to everyone attending the event. This year, alongside the beauty of literature and the magic of illustration, there is a new element: the bond between mothers and their children, who have written and illustrated several of the books in the collection together. Taking part are Ana Barrios, author of El dragón que le tenía miedo al fuego, illustrated by Bernardo Barrios; Ofelia Muñoz, creator of María y Marcelino, illustrated by Kiara Aguilar; and María Alejandra Gutiérrez Salazar and Genoveva Salazar, creators of Mañana sí quiero ir; Presented by Margarita Ladrón de Guevara.
Paulina Chavira Mendoza and Juan Jesús Garza Onofre in conversation with Israel Nieves
Another football is possible
–
La Otra Bandita
The 2026 Men’s World Cup has now come to an end. Spain won the title in what may well have been Messi and Ronaldo’s swansong; Mexico made us dream again… But let’s pause for a moment and take a critical look at football: racism and homophobia on the pitch and in the stands; violence cloaked in the guise of passion; and blatant structural corruption. In Otro futbol es posible, Paulina Chavira Mendoza and Juan Jesús Garza Onofrenot only highlight these failings, but also propose alternatives —many inspired by women’s football— for a fairer and more humane game. In conversation with Israel Nieves.
In the world of comics and graphic novels, there is a term known as a “one-shot” or “mini-comic”, which refers to short, self-contained stories. In this illustration workshop, we’ll learn how to create our own mini-comic under the guidance of Sofía Romo Saavedra(Mexico), a children’s art teacher and illustrator of numerous children’s stories. We will design the main characters and structure the beginning, middle and end of the story. What adventure will you create?
Using glove puppets, mouth puppets and props, the play Historias que se guardan en el corazón is a visual, sensory and auditory journey in which the stories teach us that we all have a place here. The Abrazo de Letras theatre company explores fear, laughter and friendship, and its characters tell us that each of us holds stories close to our hearts. This is an accessible and inclusive production, featuring a sign language interpreter integrated into the performance who interacts with the puppets. It also includes audio description for blind people and sensory stimulation. It will be a relaxed performance.
Illustration workshop with Sofía Romo Saavedra and Sam Sama
Come and draw with illustrators from the city
–
Alameda Hidalgo
Get your paper, brushes, paints and felt-tip pens ready —although we’ll have all the materials ready for you— because Queretaro’s most special illustration workshop is here! Sofía Romo Saavedra and Sam Samawill be running a workshop for children where we will learn the basics of drawing and painting. A unique opportunity to learn from the best and improve our skills!
DIF Carmelita Ballesteros Community String Orchestra in concert
–
Alameda Hidalgo
The DIF Carmelita Ballesteros Community String Orchestra will offer a one-hour recital. Founded in 2018, it is one of the community music education projects supported by the Queretaro State Secretariat of Culture, which promotes the artistic, human, and social development of children and young people. Under the conductor Roberto Morales, the orchestra has participated in various performances and cultural activities, representing the efforts of a community that finds in music a tool for integration and growth.
Presentation of stories and illustrations at En el Semáforo se Aprende
Imagining Donxu’s child
–
En el Semáforo se Aprende
One question has captured the imagination of dozens of children and teenagers in Queretaro in recent weeks: what is a day in the life of Donxu the doll’s child like? Having received countless stories and drawings brimming with imagination, the time has come to present them to the public.
Sam Sama, an illustrator and graphic designer from Queretaro, will lead this workshop, in which participants can learn the basics of character design. We will start from scratch, with a splash of paint, and move on to combining basic geometric shapes. Then we will discover that the magic of creativity can emerge from this simple combination, as the characters begin to come to life on our canvas.
Quetzel is a little girl who finds it hard to believe in herself, but together with her best friend Dael and a magical fairy called Aila, she sets off on an adventure to save the forest from the evil gnome Ongaro and the witch Carlem. Raquel Torres del Hoyo(Mexico), the author of Quetzel, la guardiana del bosque, will be telling this story, accompanied by the amigurumis – characters made using soft toys. Following the storytelling session and a brief talk on how dreams can be made to come true, those attending will have the chance to draw their favourite character from the story.
