Overview
- Chupaca in Junín opened its main procession after a mass led by the archbishop, with 36 registered Shapish dance groups circling the Plaza Independencia.
- The program in Chupaca continues with a general dance contest next and a formal awards event, with activities running through the close of the festival.
- In Puno’s Huancané, the parish of Santiago Apóstol hosted the central mass led by monsignor Giovanni Cefai, followed by processions of about 30 neighborhood crosses.
- Large live bands remain a draw, as dozens of ensembles with hundreds of musicians power huaynos on saxophones, harps and violins in what locals call a single giant orchestra.
- Archbishop Luis Alberto Huamán says the cross is a sign of life for Andean communities, while organizers work to safeguard the Shapish warrior dance, recognized as national cultural heritage since 2006.