The City of San Jose and the Mexican Heritage Corporation sponsor the International Mariachi Festival, a festival that celebrates Mexican culture and educates the public on all aspects of mariachi music. This traditional festival is unlike any other festival in the sense that it offers workshops called conferences. One workshop may educate aficionados on how to learn to play a "lightning-quick" melody, while another exhibits the traditional folkloric dance by swirling colorful shirts and tapping the feet. The Mariachi Festival includes several concerts, overwhelming the audience with irresistable rhythms and perfect blends of instrumentation: violin, trumpet,vihuela, guitar, and the bass guitarron. And of course food could never be left-out of a cultural festival. At the Mariachi Festival you can expect to find traditional Mexican food such as burritos, tacos, tamales, pan dulce, etc.
The Mariachi Festival attracts people of diverse cultures and gives the community the opportunity to see performances of many famous mariachi bands such as: Los Camperos, Mariachi Sol de Mexico de San Jose Hernandez. Reyna de Los Angeles--the first all female mariachi band to form--and Los Gavilanes de Hoover, a San Jose Mariachi band consisting of all young adults.
Overall the Mariachi Festival could be considered educational, entertaining, and extremly colorful not only because of the foods and performances, but also because of the diverse community that attends it. The Festival is usually held in July at Guadalupe River Park and the San Jose Convention Center.
Deborah Kong, "Thousands join Mariachi Festival San Jose kicks up its heels", San Jose Mercury News, Monday, 10 July 1995, Peninsula Edition, Local Sec. p.13 Chiori Santiago, " Cultural anthems steeped in traditonal, Mariachi lends itself to many styles, as muscians will demonstrate this weekend", San Jose Mercury News, Friday, 7 July 1995, Morning Final Edition, Sec. Eye p.3 Dora Arredondo
