Residents packed Mariachi Plaza Sunday in celebration of the 35th “Mariachi Festival y Fiesta Anual de Santa Cecilia” in Boyle Heights.
The celebratory festival, with roots dating back to 1989, honors the patron saint of music and musicians St. Cecilia. The day kicked off with a Catholic Mass at the plaza led by Resurrection Church’s Monsignor John Moretta, followed by mariachi performances through the night.
Gaby Jacome-Avila, who has been performing as a mariachi for a decade, joined a performance with fellow members of the Mariachi Rhythmo Academy. The group was one of over a dozen that took to the stage. “I hope mariachi [music] never dies,” said Jacome-Avila. “It’s a beautiful art form.”
Attendees came far and wide for the celebration, including those who came to support family members performing in the festival.
Gloria Delgado, 52, says this is the second year in a row she’s attended the festival in support of Garfield High School’s Mariachi, a group her children are a part of. Adrian Vega, 40, came to support his wife, a member of the Cal Poly Pomona group Los Broncos.
Artisanal vendors, including 41-year-old Marco Gelicap, brought unique goods to sell at the event.
Gelicap said he came to share and uplift Indigenous culture through his products.
The event is produced by the nonprofit Mariachi Plaza Festival Foundation (MPFF) to “raise public awareness, promote community education and preserve the means of the Mariachi,” according to its website.