The city hosts an impressive Saturday market. Unlike Otavalo, the main participants in the Latacunga market are not foreigners but locals who do their weekly shopping and socializing. Even on other days of the week, the market is often bustling and worth a visit.
Two museums are of interest: La Casa de los Marqueses de Miraflores (Calles Sánchez de Orellana and Abel Echeverría) is a restored colonial mansion with traditional furniture and colonial art, and La Casa de la Cultura (Calles Antonia Vela and Padre Salcedo) has an interesting collection of pre-conquest artifacts as well as an art gallery with rotating exhibits.
The town festival, La Fiesta de la Mama Negra, is held on September 23 and 24 and features parades, fireworks, and dancing.
It is easy to get to Latacunga from the Quito terminal: buses run every 10 or 15 minutes and cost between $1.50 and $2. Be warned, however, as buses to Latacunga will often drive all over Quito after departing from the terminal, hoping to fill up with passengers. This means that the one-hour trip may well take up to two hours. If you're trying to catch the bus from Latacunga to the Quilotoa loop (with daily departures at 11:30 and noon), be sure to arrive early enough to have time to spare.