9th Annual Heartbeat of Mexico Festival to Take Place in September

“A grand fiesta” (OC Register) returns to Orange County with the ninth annual Heartbeat of Mexico festival, a free outdoor event on September 8, and the mainstage concert featuring Mariachi Herencia de México on September 13.

Last year's community gathering drew more than 1,200 people to the Musco Center for the Arts and Aitken Arts Plaza at Chapman University in a spectacular celebration of Mexican and Mexican-American culture. Attendees of all cultures are encouraged to enjoy a family-friendly array of musicians, dancers, arts and crafts, booths from local organizations, and more.

Performances include Danza Azteca group Kalpulli Hueyatl Wanawna, traditional music by Chapman University's Mariachi Panteras, ballet folklorico by Relaìmpago Del Cielo, and cumbia punk by Los Waraperos and Gabriela Penka.

Also featured on stage will be dance workshops by Claudia de la Cruz, DJ sets by DJ VinylRiche, and drag artist Kay Sedia as MC!

Organizations, such as Bowers Museum, Frida Cinema, Planned Parenthood Community Action Fund, and more, will also be present to connect with the community.

"The Heartbeat of Mexico festival is a special event for me,” says Ruben Espinoza, President of Chapman University's Latinx Staff & Faculty Forum. “It is great to see students, staff, faculty, and the local community come together to celebrate Mexican culture.”

Heartbeat of Mexico Family Festival Spotlights Community Art

With a chalk art contest, collaborative painting, arts and crafts workshops, and an art exhibit, this year's Heartbeat of Mexico festival highlights the importance of community art.

Roger Eyes R., a multi-disciplinary artist, teaching artist, live painter, and muralist from Santa Ana, will lead attendees in a collaborative art project called Local Loteria, highlighting memorable people, places, and objects from the surrounding community.

Adriana Martinez, a multimedia artist, muralist, educator, and community art advocate who supports the preservation of traditional art-making practices and Mexican folk art, will facilitate a textileria (textile) workshop.

Uplifting Soul Art, a local arts education and community events organization, will present a two-hour “Ojos de Dios” workshop focused on yarn-weaving patterns on wooden sticks and feather ends. The all-ages workshop will be guided by trained instructors and will include all necessary materials.

The Chalk Art Contest will return, taking place from 12pm-5pm. Chalk, paint, brushes, and supplies will be provided free of charge for contestants to participate in either of two contests: chalk art or mural painting. Winners will be chosen by festival attendees and will receive a prize. Sign up for the chalk art contest here.

Mariachi Herencia de México headlines mainstage, Friday, September 13 at 7:30pm

Mariachi Herencia de México are paving the way for a new wave of mariachi musicians in the United States, representing a bicultural generation that is preserving the historic traditions of mariachi while embracing the endless evolution of the genre. The young, virtuosic band is composed of 14 musicians, ages 18-32.

The 2x Latin GRAMMY-nominated band from Chicago has issued five chart-topping albums and has performed across the North American continent. Nuestra Herencia, their 2017 debut album, topped the Latin streaming charts and earned the band their first Latin GRAMMY-nomination for Best Ranchero/Mariachi Album and their 2022 release, Herederos, received a 2023 Latin GRAMMY nomination for Best Ranchero/Mariachi Album. 2018's Herencia de la Tierra Mía and the two-volume series, Esencia and Esencia, Vol. 2  issued in 2019 and 2020, respectively, charted atop all major streaming platforms and industry charts.

Reservations for the Heartbeat of Mexico Festival and tickets for Mariachi Herencia de México are available online at www.muscocenter.org or by calling the box office at 844-OC-MUSCO (844-626-8726). All print-at-home tickets include a no-cost parking pass. Musco Center for the Arts is located on the campus of Chapman University at 415 North Glassell, Orange, Calif.

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