The 2026 León State Fair expanded its offerings to bring the best of Guanajuato's production and cuisine to the forefront. On the one hand, the People's Pavilion expanded its presence in Hall C5 of the Poliforum León; on the other, the Guanajuato ¡Sí Sabe! Pavilion was launched, a space dedicated to traditional cuisine that brought together cooks representing the seven regions of the state.
More space, more producers Promoted by the Ministry of Economy as part of the Government of the People strategy, the People's Pavilion occupied 2,000 square meters in Hall C5 to add 138 new exhibitors with the Marca Guanajuato seal. The pavilion's design favored a continuous route designed for direct interaction between vendors and the public, with the aim of promoting local identity and the consumption of products from the state.
In total, the different areas of the Pavilion -B300, Mezzanine, C3 and C5- included more than 1,000 producers and 19 state agencies, as well as the Guanajuato Brand and an information module from the Ministry of Economy with programs to support employment and strengthen MSMEs. The exhibition showcased emblematic products such as cajeta, leather hats, footwear, tequilas, mezcals, wines, sweets, bread and cheese, and sought to open up marketing opportunities in national and international markets.
Gastronomy as a living heritage In parallel, the Guanajuato ¡Sí Sabe! Pavilion was positioned as the new home of the state's traditional cuisine. For the first time at the fair, 24 cooks from the seven tourist regions shared recipes, techniques and knowledge that cross generations: from moles and sauces to preparations with native corn, local herbs and endemic ingredients.
The pavilion, located on the gastronomic road near the Plaza Bicentenario, combined tastings, culinary demonstrations, oral tradition storytelling and the sale of local products.
One of the central themes was the Otomí ceremonial tortilla -practiced in municipalities such as Comonfort and Tierra Blanca- whose elaboration and decoration with wooden stamps reflects symbols of the Hñähñu cosmovision: corn, sun, moon, flowers and birds linked to gratitude and fertility.
Platform for true protagonists In addition to offering flavors, the space served as a platform to make visible the bearers of the gastronomic heritage: traditional cooks, rural producers and food artisans. The intention was for the public not only to taste dishes, but also to understand the cultural, agricultural and social value behind each recipe.
Participating municipalities and purpose The Guanajuato ¡Sí Sabe! Pavilion brought together representatives from more than twenty municipalities, including León, Celaya, Dolores Hidalgo, Irapuato, San Miguel, Comonfort, Salvatierra, Purísima del Rincón and Valle de Santiago, consolidating itself as an annual meeting point to celebrate the state's gastronomic diversity and raise awareness of the protection of this living heritage.
Closure and projection The León State Fair 2026, held as part of the 450th anniversary of the city and the 150th anniversary of the event, seeks to surpass recent attendance records and project itself as a space that not only entertains, but also generates economic and cultural opportunities for the communities of Guanajuato. With the expansion of the People's Pavilion and the new Guanajuato ¡Sí Sabe! Pavilion, the event reinforces its commitment to the promotion of local products and the safeguarding of culinary traditions that are, in themselves, a tourist attraction.
