Downtown El Paso is gearing up for its fourth annual Vivamos México celebration, a free, family-friendly festival that organizers estimate could draw more than 9,000 people this year — up from roughly 6,000 attendees when the event first launched. The festival will take place Saturday, September 12, running from 5 to 11 p.m. at the El Paso Convention Center Plaza.
The event is a partnership among Destination El Paso, the Consulate General of Mexico in El Paso and the City of El Paso, according to KFOX14/CBS4. Destination El Paso, which operates under a municipal agreement with the city to manage tourism and city-owned venues, provides management services through live event company Legends Global, according to Destination El Paso. The festival will be held at 1 Civic Center Plaza, and this year’s lineup will include a classic car show, local food trucks and a fireworks finale alongside the official ceremony, per Visit El Paso.
Destination El Paso President and CEO Brooke Underwood said the celebration has continued to grow each year and invited everyone to enjoy lucha libre, fare and food. Underwood said the festival recognizes the culture and history of the El Paso-Juárez region, per the station’s report. Beyond lucha libre, the festival includes music, dancing, lotería and family activities, along with a taco-eating contest, an edible salsa-making competition and a chancla-throwing contest.
Ancient Ballgame Makes Its Festival Debut
New this year, Vivamos México will introduce live demonstrations of ulamaliztli, an ancient Aztec ballgame that uses players’ hips to move the ball rather than their hands or feet. The game dates back more than 3,000 years and is recognized as one of the oldest team sports in human history, according to The Nevada Independent. Past iterations of the celebration have featured musical performances from groups like Mariachi Los Arrieros and Ballet Folklórico Camino Real, with the official Grito ceremony typically held in the evening, according to 93.1 KISS FM…