the feast is to ask for good crops for that growing season. The El Llano chapel is located in the agricultural center of the area. The feast of Mary Magdalene, patroness of the Barrio de la Magdalena is celebrated on September 8. The feast of the Apostle John, patron of the San Juan neighborhood, takes place on December 27. One Christmas tradition in the town is to have a parade through the town on Christmas Eve. This parade features floats with Biblical scenes. One local tradition is the creation of “cruces de animas” (crosses of encouragement) which can be seen on family altars or in family shrines. These crosses represent loved ones who have died and can be very elaborate although most are simple. These are most common in the former Indian neighborhoods of San Juan and Barrio de la Magdalena where they can be seen in the local chapels. Feria Nacional del Queso y el Vino The Feria Nacional del Queso y el Vino began in the 1980s as a means to promote the region's wine and cheese production. The fair promotes the 1,200,000 million bottles of wine and 400,000 kilograms of cheese the state produces each year. Most of the activity occurs at the La Pila Park, in the town center, but there are also cultural events, conferences, contests, charreadas, concerts and more associated with it. The main tent contains wine and cheese producers from the local area as well as the rest of Mexico and international companies. The event crowns a festival queen, who is crowned by the municipal president. The fair is sponsored with money from the municipality, the state of Querétaro and the federal Secretary of Tourism. Artists who have played at the event include de Paco Rentería, Sonora Dinamita, Playa Limbo, Titanes de Durango, Grupo Mediterráneo, Guitarras de América, Carlos Eduardo Rico, Jorge Falcón, Sandoval, Pambo and singer María José . The 2011 fair resulted in 100 percent hotel occupancy and an economic impact of forty million pesos for the town. However, the fair has had problems with the uncontrolled sale of alcoholic beverages, which has led to incidents of fighting and other illegal behavior. There have also been cases of alcohol intoxication requiring medical attention. The Municipality As municipal seat, the town of Tequisquiapan is the local governing authority for about two hundred other communities, which together cover a territory of 343.6 km.