San Juan de la Vega is most noted for its unique exploding sledgehammer festival as a tribute to "San Juanito", which takes place every February. Locals affix homemade explosives to heads of hammers. The explosives were made with matches, sulfur and fireworks. Attaching a mix of sulphur and chlorate to the ends of sledge hammers which they then smash against rail beams. Today, this is mainly done in a field outside the town. The celebration stems from the 17th century when the town’s namesake, considered “Mexico’s
Robin Hood”, battled with the area’s wealthy landowners. The modern day celebration is a reenactment of this skirmish. Despite the concern of several groups and calls to end the tradition, the festival has continued for over 300 years. ==References==