Over 1,000 Attend Mariachi Sin Fronteras Festival at SDSU Imperial Valley
On Saturday, Sept. 16, SDSU Imperial Valley, the Calexico Rotary Club and the Consulate of Mexico in Calexico partnered together to host its first Mariachi sin Fronteras festival in celebration of Mexico’s Independence Day. All proceeds from the event will fund scholarships for SDSU Imperial Valley and local high school students to continue their higher education journeys.
The musical show was made upof two local mariachi groups, Mariachi Amanecer and Mariachi Aurora of Calexico. Grupo Norteño Corona also performed regional Mexican music and Folkloric Sunshine of El Centro performed traditional folkloric dances from across Mexico.
Held at SDSU Imperial Valley, more than 1,000 community members from across the Valley attended.
“This collaborative gathering is the first event all three entities are hosting together, where we hoped to bring our community closer,” said Gina Nuñez-Mchiri, dean of SDSU Imperial Valley. “The music and dance groups created a fun environment that made everyone feel like they could celebrate and enjoy Mexico’s Independence Day on this side of the border.”
The Consulate of Mexico in Calexico brought a special, visual exhibition of Mexican popular proverbs called, “¡A Darle que es Mole de Olla!” to the university’s Steppling Art Gallery.
“This festival commemorates the tradition and culture of Mexico, but it also celebrates the transborder community that we have here in Calexico and across the region,” said Mario Beltran, deputy consul for the Consulate of Mexico in Calexico. “We recognize the strength and resilience of our Mexican and Mexican American communities, so we look forward to having events like these in the future.”
For the Calexico Rotary Club, their work, as part of the event, to raise funds for students’ scholarships comes down to service.
“On behalf of the Calexico Rotary Club, we wanted to give back to our community and what better way than to gather and celebrate Mexico’s Independence Day,” said Hortencia Armendariz, rotary assistant governor and past president of the Calexico Rotary Club. “This festival not only honors our Mexican tradition, but emphasizes the importance of collaboration and unity as partners and members of this community.”