And it’s all about “Coco”!
If it’s October, it must be Mariachi time in Rosarito. The 9th Annual Mariachi and Folklorico Festival will return to the Rosarito Beach Hotel October 3rd – 6th. Three days of intense talleres (workshops) in singing, dancing, and Mariachi instruments precede the Grand Concerto event on Saturday, October 6.
As always, 100% of the net proceeds will benefit the Rosarito Club de Ninos y Ninas (Boys and Girls Club). This year, the funds will go towards additional construction and Club operations of the facility, located in Colonia Lucio Blanco. If you haven’t been up there yet to see the Club, please do so! Visitors are always welcome to tour the place and see what goes on…and maybe offer to be a volunteer.
If you are brave enough, sign up for the workshops. The cost for three days, October 3 – 5, is only $60 and open to people (even non-Mexicans) of all ages! Choose between singing, folkloric dancing, or Mariachi band. And you don’t have to bring your own instrument!
Tickets are available for the popular Cocktails with the Stars (5:30, October 4), featuring appetizers from local eateries and some really great wine. And don’t forget to have your photo taken with the stars of the Mariachi.
Prior to “Cocktails” is the annual inauguration of Mariachi greats into the Mariachi Hall of Fame, located in the Rosarito Beach Hotel, right next to Chaubert’s Restaurant and the Quixote Room. And this event is free!
Friday night is the Student Showcase Concert where students will perform musical numbers learned in the workshops. Get some really good mariachi performances for a mere $15. And keep your eyes and ears open for “Playing and Singing for Food” activities at several Rosarito eateries during the week.
Saturday is a full day, starting at 10am, with Competitions featuring Mariachi groups and Folkloric dancers from all over Mexico for a mere $5! Prepare to see some great acts, including (hopefully) ladies that dance with full (unopened) bottles of beer on their cabesas. You will have plenty of time to get home and clean up for the Grand Concert at 7 pm.
Doors for Saturday night’s Grand Concert open at 6 pm. This year, Mariachi Fest celebrates the 2017 Disney-Pixar film “CoCo,” a film about a boy who has dreams of becoming an accomplished musician like his idol.
And this year it IS all about “CoCo.” Workshop teachers for the week all worked on the animated movie, which won the Academy Awards for Best Animated Feature and Best Achievement in Music Written for a Motion Picture.
Tickets for Saturday evening’s performance range from General Admission ($25) to Diamond (better seating at $65), and VIP (reserved table seating, $100.) Headlining is Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan and the Mariachi Divas. Other celebrities participating Saturday night include Mariachi Garibaldi de Jaime Cuellar, Musical arrangers of “CoCo,” and winner of multiple Grammy Awards, and many other performers.
Los Angeles’ Ballet Folklorico, who performed the Oscar-winning Best Song of the Year at the Oscars, will perform, as will Trio Ellas, who is very popular at Mariachi Fest.
Never before seen will be the world premiere of Impresario Edward March’s “MagiConcert Virtual Orchestra,” performing on the big screen and stage concurrently.
Tickets are still available for all of these Mariachi Fest events, by visiting www.Clubrosarito.org, or contacting Rosy Torres at RosyMTorres@hotmail.com. For special Rosarito Beach Hotel packages, go to www.RosaritoBeachHotel.com, or (US): 1-800-ROSARITO or (MX) 01-800-265-2322. ,
