In celebration of its 30th anniversary, Guadalajara’s International Mariachi Festival will brings its color, joy and warmth to ten of Jalisco’s 12 Magic Towns (Pueblos Magicos).
And while an opening parade in the city center is not included in this year program (as of press time), plenty of thrilling recitals and concerts have been scheduled within the metropolitan area and further afield during the August 23 to September 3 party that salutes Mexico’s much-loved brand of music.
Galas
Most of the festival events are free to the public, apart from the nightly galas at the Teatro Degollado that feature mariachi’s biggest names, playing alongside the Jalisco Philharmonic Orchestra (OFJ). These galas are the big money spinners for the local Chamber of Commerce, which has organized this musical jamboree since its inception in 1994.
The Degollado galas take place August 23, 24, 25, 26, 31 and September 1, all at 8 p.m. This year, each concert pays homage to a famous performer or composer, either living or deceased. Among the honorees will be Vicente Fernandez, Juan Gabriel, Pedro Infante and Jose Alfredo Jimenez—household names to Mexicans. The groups performing with the OFJ are all top-notch and include Nuevo Tecalitlan, Sol de America and Los Camperos.
While tickets for the galas are expensive, from 950 to 2,950 pesos, the revenue permits the festival to continue year after year, and the shows are usually emotion-charged occasions, say those who have experienced them.
Tickets from Ticketmaster, and the Camara de Comercio box office, 333-359-1251.
Audiorio Telmex
An additional gala concert with the OFJ and the Mariachi Internacional GHG is scheduled at the massive Auditorio Telmex in Zapopan on Wednesday, August 30, at 9 p.m. The venue also sees the Mariachi Los Camperos joined by a symphony orchestra for a theatrical tribute to Fray Antonio Alcalde (see story page 8), featuring some clever digital mapping technology, on Saturday, September 2, 8:30 p.m. Tickets, 700 to 1,900 pesos.
Plaza Liberacion
The sound of mariachi music will echo throughout downtown Guadalajara’s Plaza Liberacion for eight straight days during the festival, between Friday, August 25 and Friday, September 1. On the weekdays, bands and performers will appear on the stage erected in front of the Degollado Theater continuously between 4 and 8 p.m., while the Saturday schedule is from noon to 8 p.m. Local, national and visiting international bands will perform, along with talented singers, plus a one-off gig by the Orquesta Tipica de Guadalajara (Friday, September 1, 4 p.m. ).
The Sunday, August 27 schedule will be reduced, in order to prepare for the free, 6 p.m. “Gala Publica” in the plaza, at which top mariachi bands perform with the Jalisco Philharmonic. A large, enthusiastic crowd is anticipated.
Verbenas
The Verbenas de Mariachi program sees the festival branch out from the Guadalajara city center to other neighborhoods in the metropolitan area. These recitals are scheduled as follows: Friday, August 25 in Tesistan; Saturday, August 26 at the Glorieta Chapalita and also in the Parque San Jacinto; Sunday, August 27 in El Batan; Wednesday, August 30 in the Parque 18 de Marzo; Friday, September 1 in La Venta de Astillero; and Saturday, September 2 in Nextipac. All these “recitals” start at 7:30 p.m.
Shopping malls
The performances by participating groups in Guadalajara shopping malls (centros commerciales) are another important component of the festival. The schedule is:
Plaza Patria: Friday, August 25 to Sunday, September 3, each day at 5:30 p.m.
Andares Mall: August 25-27 and August 31 to September 3, all at 6 p.m.
Punto Sur: August 25-27 and August 31 to September 3, all at 6:30 p.m.
La Gran Plaza: August 25-27 and September 1-3, all at 6 p.m.
Mariachi Mass
As in previous years, a “Mariachi Mass” is featured on the festival program, when the sound of violins and trumpets echo around the city’s magnificent religious edifices. This year, however, only one mass is scheduled, set for the grand Basilica de Nuestra Señora de Zapopan on Sunday, September 3, noon.
Closing concert
Later on Sunday, September 3, the huge Juan Pablo II plaza facing the Basilica will host the festival’s closing concert, at 6 p.m., open to the public free of charge. The featured group is Mariachi Nuevo Tecalitlan and the singer is Dina Buendia.
Pueblos Magicos
The extension of the festival to Jalisco’s Pueblos Magicos will be eagerly anticipated in these locales. Once again, the shows are all presented without any charge, and all have a start time of 7:30 p.m., according to the festival program.
For Ajijic residents and visitors, the date is Wednesday, August 30, at the Centro para la Cultura y las Artes de la Ribera.
All but one of the remainder take place in the plazas principales (main squares) of the Pueblo Magicos: Mascota (Aug. 30), Tequila (Aug. 28), San Sebastián del Oeste (Sept. 1), Tapalpa (Sept. 2), Mazamitla (Aug. 29), Tlaquepaque (Aug. 30), Talpa de Allende (Aug. 31) and Cocula (Aug. 26). The August 31 show in Lagos de Moreno takes place at the town’s famous Teatro Jose Rosas Moreno.
Chapala, Joco, PV
In addition to the Magic Town shows, the 30th edition of the festival also branches out to several other major destinations, including the Chapala Malecon, which hosts what promises to be a lively free concert on Tuesday, August 29, 7:30 p.m.
Further to the west end of Lake Chapala, the Jocotepec Malecon will be the scene of another concert on Friday, September 1, 7:30 p.m.
Other shows on the festival program take place at the emblematic Arcos (arches) of Puerto Vallarta on Monday, August 28, 7:30 p.m., and in the main plaza of Tecolotlan on Tuesday, August 29, 7:30 p.m.
Charreria
One should also point out that the full name of the festival is the Encuentro Internacional del Mariachi y la Charreria. The equestrian part of the festival takes place on Saturday, August 26, at the Lienzo Los Tres Potrillos, located on the highway midway between Guadalajara and Chapala. Several teams take part in this annual Charreria competition, which has three sessions, at 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Escaramuzas (elegantly attired female teams) will show off their riding skills at different times during the day.
Tickets, 100 pesos, are available at the gate.
For more information, and to download a PDF of the full festival program, go to mariachi-jalisco.com.mx.