Mission San Juan Capistrano announces the return of its seventh annual Battle of the Mariachis Festival on Saturday, May 21, from 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
With the generous support of the Thomas J. and Erma Jean Tracy Family Foundation, the Festival continues to be an exciting celebration of talent featuring young mariachi musicians from across Southern California. Performers will compete for cash awards before a panel of judges. The Festival will be emceed by Laura Garciacano Sobrino, who was first dubbed the “Mariachi Queen” in 1995 by the Los Angeles Times. In 1996, an NBC national morning show featured a segment on her as a pioneer female mariachi and as a positive role model for the new generation of mariachi musicians. This year marks her second return as the Festival’s emcee.
This year’s competing Mariachi groups include:
High Desert Mariachi Juvenil (Hesperia, CA)
Mariachi Aguila Real (Victorville, CA)
Mariachi Chula Vista (San Diego, CA)
Mariachi Diamante de San Diego (San Diego, CA)
Mariachi Juvenil Los Primos (Rialto, CA)
Mariachi Orgullo de San Diego (San Diego, CA)
Mariachi Puno de Oro (Anaheim, CA)
Mariachi Tesoro de San Fernando (San Fernando, CA)
Mariachi Tleyotltzin (Nampa, ID – Idaho)
Mariachi de Uclatlán (Los Angeles, CA)
Plaza de la Raza Youth Mariachi Ensemble (Los Angeles, CA)
Roosevelt High School Mariachi Olimpico (Los Angeles, CA)
Alternate Groups (who will compete if another group drops out):
Mariachi Juvenil Azteca (San Diego, CA)
Mariachi Juvenil Tierra Azteka (Los Angeles, CA)
Mariachi Orgullo Azteca (Indio, CA)
The day also will feature performances by Genesis Codina and Mariachi Capistrano. Throughout the day a Mariachi-inspired bilingual marionette show by the Franklin Haynes Marionettes will play in the front courtyard along with the usual Panning for Gold experience offered each weekend. The historic Mission bells will ring in revelry at 10:30 a.m. to mark the start of the Fiesta, or festival event.
A limited number of tables for 10 are available for sale at $200 each. The event is free to members of the Mission Preservation Society. Seating is limited and available on a first-come, first-serve basis in designated areas.
Authentic Mexican food, along with many other food vendors, will be available on site throughout the day. Picnic bags will be checked to ensure that alcohol is prohibited from coming into the site during the event.
For more information and tickets go to missionsjc.com or call (949) 234-1300.
About Mission San Juan Capistrano:
Known as the “Jewel of the Missions,” Mission San Juan Capistrano is a historic landmark and museum that boasts of quality permanent exhibits featuring original artifacts as well as traveling and temporary exhibits on a wide variety of topics.
The site itself serves as a living outdoor museum with original buildings constructed by Native Americans in the 18th century including the Serra Chapel, Great Stone Church, and the original padres’ quarters of the South Wing.
The Mission was founded on November 1, 1776 by Padre Junipero Serra as the seventh in the chain of the twenty-one California missions established by Spain, and is Orange County’s only mission. Every year, over 50,000 students visit the Mission and engage in an inspirational learning experience via the Mission Matters programming, as part of their State required California history studies.
Mission San Juan Capistrano is owned by the Diocese of Orange and is supported by the Mission Preservation Foundation, which is comprised of business and community leaders committed to ensuring the long term preservation and viability of Orange County’s only Mission. The Mission receives no funding from either the Church or the State of California and charges admission funds as a means of providing public access.
Mission San Juan Capistrano is located at 26801 Ortega Highway, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675. Open Daily 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Good Friday afternoon. Admission is $9 adults; $8 seniors (60 years or over); $5 children (ages 4 to 11); and children ages 3 and under are admitted free. Free audio guide with senior and adult admission. For more information, call (949) 234-1300 or visit www.missionsjc.com.
