Mexican Pinata Festival

A pi ata designed to resemble Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto is displayed with other pi atas representing popular children's characters, at a La Merced market stall.

Cecilia Albarran Gonzalez, 54, smoothes layers of papier mache onto the back of a horse pi ata, in her home in the Iztapalapa neighborhood of Mexico City.

Guillermo Luna Martinez smoothes strips of newspaper moistened with a glue made from wheat flour onto pi ata molds for creating structured pi atas, which involve separate pieces that need to be assembled, on the rooftop of his in laws' family workshop in the Iztapalapa neighborhood of Mexico City.

A pi ata resembling Sleeping Beauty stands among other partially finished pi atas. Perennial favorites among the different figures include Spiderman, Mickey Mouse and Buzz Lightyear. Characters from the Disney hit 'Frozen' currently appear to be top sellers in local markets.

Veronica Macias, accompanied by her son Yosef Alejandro Cruz, picks out a pi ata resembling a pole dancing stripper for her nephew's 17th birthday party, at La Merced market in Mexico City.

Jasmin Membrillo (centre) accompanied by her daughter Cinthya Jasmin, picks out a pi ata representing Disney's Frozen snowman character Olaf, for an upcoming birthday party. Market vendor Gerardo Moreno Alejo and his wife Edith, at left, sell pi atas and avocados from their stall in La Merced, one of Mexico City's largest markets.