Cabo San Lucas has a birthday, and this year it celebrated 484 years since the day it was first named. That was on Oct. 18, 1541, when Spanish mariner Francisco de Bolaños named it according to the custom of the time, which was based on the Catholic Calendar. Because Oct. 18 was the feast day of St. Luke the Evangelist, that’s who became the namesake and patron saint of the place, even though no one but the Indigenous Pericú would call it home until the early 19th century.
Before it acquired its name, the southernmost point of the Baja California Peninsula was marked only with the word “ballenas” on the maps of the time, indicating the presence of whales.
Fiestas tradicionales in Cabo San Lucas
Like most towns and cities in Mexico, Cabo San Lucas celebrates its founding with an annual festival, known as a fiesta patronal (patron saint festival) or, more broadly, a fiesta tradicional. More than 15,000 people attended events this year during the six-day festival (Oct. 17 to Oct. 22), which included concerts featuring big-name musical acts. Los Tucanes de Tijuana performed this year, for example, as did Pancho Barraza, Marco Antonio Solís and Los Dos Carnales, among many others. There were also parades — including a cabalgata (or horseback-mounted parade), a fair, and the crowning of a queen (actually, two).
Additionally, given the city’s maritime focus, a procession of boats, following morning mañanitas sung to St. Luke on his feast day, headed for the iconic El Arco (The Arch) at Land’s End, with an image of the saint aboard and a floral arrangement with which to pay tribute.
Unlike most of the other major events on the annual calendar in Cabo San Lucas, this one is aimed not at tourists but is almost exclusively local in character. That shouldn’t be surprising, given the festival’s religious character and its importance in strengthening community identity.
The crowning of two queens was introduced in 2025. Yes, the traditional queen of the festival was announced, along with her princess and lady-in-waiting, who serve a ceremonial and ambassadorial role as representatives of the community during the coming year. For the first time, however, a LGBTQ+ queen was also crowned, demonstrating the city’s commitment to diversity and inclusivity.
Preparing for the Day of the Dead
The next event to note for residents, and particularly for families who have lived in the area for generations, is Day of the Dead. On Nov. 1 and Nov. 2, many residents will visit the graves of deceased friends and family, with offerings for returning spirits.
In preparation for the uptick in visits and vigils, the Los Cabos government’s Dirección General de Servicios Públicos (General Directorate of Public Services) recently intensified its cleaning efforts for each of the 17 cemeteries located within the municipality.
“We are cleaning the front, side, and interior areas of the cemeteries to keep them in optimal condition,” said Jesús Germán Álvarez, who is responsible for cemeteries in San José del Cabo, via the Los Cabos government website. “We invite families to join in the care of these spaces and not forget their faithful departed.”
“The commitment of the mayor and our directors is clear: to provide clean, orderly, and dignified public spaces for the families of Cabo, especially during these dates of great significance for our community,” he added.
Another season of Bisbee’s fishing tournaments concludes
Bisbee’s hosts a trio of big-money fishing tournaments in Los Cabos each year, the first of which, the East Cape Offshore, takes place in August, with the two others, the Los Cabos Offshore and Black & Blue, held each October in Cabo San Lucas.
The Black & Blue is the most lucrative and famous of the three, hence its nickname as the “Super Bowl of Fishing” and its accurate appraisal as “the world’s richest fishing tournament.” But the “Little Bisbee’s”, or Los Cabos Offshore, so-called because of its standing related to the Black & Blue, has continued to grow.
This year, in fact, it set a tournament record with its US $2.7 million purse. However, because of daily jackpots and other optional category entries, the second-place Team Santana ended up taking home the most money with a check for $1,114,361 for its 424-pound black marlin. But Team No Limits did earn the first-place trophy and $104,111 for a black marlin eight pounds heavier during the tournament, which took place Oct. 14-18.
Combine the purses from the three Bisbee’s tournaments this year — $1.2 million for the East Cape Offshore, $2.7 million for the Los Cabos Offshore and $7.4 million for the Black & Blue — and it still doesn’t exceed the worldwide record of $11.5 million set by the latter event in 2022. That said, $7.4 million is a lot of potential prize money for the pleasure of spending three days fishing in Cabo San Lucas!
Recapping Bisbee’s Black & Blue
In 2025, 178 teams, comprising 1,242 anglers, had the pleasure, although it came at a price: $5,000 for base entry for teams, or $84,500 for across-the-board jackpots and challenges. Some teams made those entry fees back many times over as the Black and Blue concluded with its award ceremony on Oct. 25. Team Magic Touch, for example, took home first place, its largest catch being a 459-pound blue marlin — one of 113 blue marlin and 10 black marlin caught during the tournament — worth almost $2.5 million.
Each of the fish weighed were donated as food for local families, continuing Bisbee’s long-standing commitment to giving back in Los Cabos through the Hope for Los Cabos Foundation. Each pound of fish equates to 4.5 meals, which means this year’s winner alone provided over 2,000 meals.
The wrap-up of Bisbee’s means only one fishing tournament with a purse exceeding one million dollars remains to be contested in 2025. That’s the WON Tuna Jackpot, the world’s richest tuna fishing tournament, which kicks off its 27th edition on Nov. 5, the day before the only PGA-sponsored golf tournament in Los Cabos, the World Wide Technology Championship, begins at the Tiger Woods-designed El Cardonal Course in Cabo San Lucas.
Chris Sands is the Cabo San Lucas local expert for the USA Today travel website 10 Best, writer of Fodor’s Los Cabos travel guidebook and a contributor to numerous websites and publications, including Tasting Table, Marriott Bonvoy Traveler, Forbes Travel Guide, Porthole Cruise, Cabo Living and Mexico News Daily.
