Locals don colorful ceremonial dress and visitors are invited to join the party, drink singani (distilled grape liquor), chew coca and dance until dawn at celebrations that take place on fall and spring equinox, when the rays of the rising sun shine through the temple entrance on the eastern side of Kalasasaya. The largest celebration is Aymará New Year on June 21, when as many as 5000 people, including a large contingent of New Agers, arrive from all over the world.
Artisans hold crafts fairs to coincide with the annual celebrations.
Special buses leave La Paz around 4am to arrive in time for sunrise. Dress warmly because the pre-dawn hours are bitterly cold.
