BISBEE — Historic Warren Ballpark will again be the gathering place for lovers of mariachi, a Mexican/Spanish folk music genre dating back hundreds of years, on Saturday, Nov. 5.
The all–day event is sponsored by the Bisbee Coalition for the Homeless and showcases six talented Folkloric dance and Mariachi musical troupes from south of the border and the Southwest. Music lovers will be entertained by Mariachi Aztlan de Pueblo High School, Las Azaleas, Compamia de Danza Folkloric Arizona, Mariachi Sonido de Mexico, Mariachi Pueblo Viejo and Mariachi Nuevo Azteca de Tucson.
Special guest appearances by Bisbee’s talented 8-year-old Jasiel Ortiz, back by popular demand, and a new young star on the rise, 10-year-old Mariapaula Mazon, who was featured on “Good Morning America” and will be performing Selena Quintanilla songs.
Included in this year’s festival will be culinary craftsman from throughout the state who will be selling delicacies with a Mexico flair, traditional barbecue and other fine food items as well as vendors with trinkets, snacks and souvenirs. There will be an inflatable slide for the kids, face painting and dancing. This year vendors will be serving craft beer, soft drinks, coffee, kettle corn, salsa, ribs, popsicles and water.
To celebrate Bisbee’s rich mining heritage, there will be a miners’ display featuring artifacts and minerals from mines throughout the state.
BCH will celebrate the freedom enjoyed in the U.S. by honoring the heroes who put it all on the line to preserve it — our military.
Gates open at 10 a.m., so there is plenty of time to get set up and grab a bite to eat before the fun begins. People should bring lawn chairs and blankets. Those who want to set up canopies or umbrellas will be shifted to an area that does not block fellow festival goers and the performers.
Tickets are $15 for adults; children younger than 10 are admitted free.
This is the seventh annual fundraising event to be held in the historic Warren Ballpark to benefit BCH. Incorporated in 1996, BCH serves those who are homeless and on the verge of homelessness. It provides shelter for homeless men and women and helps those in need of food. They help people to navigate the system to achieve self–sufficiency whether it is assistance for finding a job, behavioral health support, substance abuse issues, mental illness or just a place to call home.
The first festival was held in 2014, in Bisbee City Park, and about 1,200 ecstatic fans got to experience the vibrant sounds of some of the most talented mariachi and folkloric performers in the country. In 2015, this brainchild of BCH Board President John Acosta saw its attendance numbers triple and BCH decided to move the festival to the ballp-ark.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2019 festival hosted nearly 6,500 very satisfied, cheerful attendees. It is hoped just as many or more will come to Saturday’s event.
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