Attendees of the 11th Annual Mariachi Festival showed up with lawn chairs to sit back and enjoy live music and dance. The free festival took place on Sunday, July 27, at Shirley Sisk Grove in Newark.
“I’m out here, and today’s a nice day. Last year we came, it was a lot hotter,” said attendee Antonio Espinosa.
The festival was organized by the Newark Recreation and Community Services
Department. The Newark Recreation table had arts and crafts for kids where they made flower headbands and sombreros, representing the Mariachi musicians and Ballet Folklórico dancers. Food trucks Tacon Madre and Kona Ice were also on the Sisk Grove grounds for those who wanted treats while enjoying the show.
The festival’s live music was performed by Bay Area Mariachi groups Mariachi Tapatio, Mariachi San Francisco and the all-women Mariachi group Mariachi Feminil Orgullo Mexicano.
Mariela Espinosa, who joined Antonio, shared how much she enjoyed the music. “Just the culture of the Mexican music. [They’ll] have different Mariachis come up so they’ll play with different instruments. The music has been so beautiful,” she said. “It’s just great to kind of enrich yourself in that culture.”
Mariachi groups started forming in the 18th century in the western Mexican state of Jalisco. The size of a Mariachi group can range from at least three members to more than ten. The musicians wear glamorous suits and sombreros, resembling a Mexican rancher or cowboy. Various instruments are played, including the violin, trumpet, guitar and a bass guitar, or guitarrón.
Former Newark City Councilmember Sucy Collazo said the Mariachi Festival is a great addition to the city’s summer events. “We had the summer program for Music at the Grove, but I felt that we needed to diversify a little bit more and bring in some of our Latin culture. We have a lot of Latinos,” she said. According to the Data USA website, the Latino population in Newark makes up nearly 30%.
The live music concert also had Ballet Folklórico performances. The traditional dances were performed by Bay Area Ballet Folklórico youth groups, including Schilling Elementary School in Newark, Amankaya, Viva Mexico Ballet Folklórico and Newark Ballet Folklórico. Viva Mexico choreographers said they teach dancers as young as 6, to adult dancers who are up to 50 years old.
Ballet Folklórico is known for its long colorful, flowy skirts and energetic dances. Translated as “folk dance,” it combines many types of dances from multiple states in Mexico. Amalia Hernandez is credited with introducing Ballet Folklórico to the world in 1952, creating the dance company Ballet Folklórico de Mexico.
Festivalgoer Eric Perez said it was his third time attending the festival. He shared that he was there to connect with his Mexican heritage and culture with his family. “We’re just here rediscovering our roots and letting our kids also listen to Mariachi music,” he said.
A raffle took place during the festival, with Mariachi members drawing winners from a passport raffle game. Prizes included a retro speaker, tote bag, mini-cooler and a single-serve coffee maker.
Antonio said the festival is reminiscent of his early days. “I like the way it sounds. The singers, some of them surprise me with the range that they have,” he said. “When I was younger I used to dance, so I know exactly what they are going through. It’s just nice, it reminds me of when I was younger.”
