ArtsFiesta! is a celebration of Mexican culture, and will feature an authentic Mariachi band, Mariachi Viva Jalisco, from Springfield’s sister city of Tlaquepaque, Mexico. Festivities also include dance performances by Grupo Latinoamericano from Springfield and Grupo Libertad from Branson.

Mexican food will be available for purchase, creating an all-around authentic cultural experience of Tlaquepaque, Mexico. Games for children are also included. Admission to ArtsFiesta! is $3; children 10 and under are free. Guests are encouraged to bring a lawn chair to enjoy a full evening of events.

Mariachi Viva Jalisco will make several other appearances throughout the week:

Thursday, May 5

Noon—Missouri State University, Plaster Student Union, free

Friday, May 6

Noon—Drury University, Findlay Student Center, free

Saturday, May 7

1 p.m. —Artsfest on Historic Walnut Street, main stage. Artsfest admission is $3 advance; $5 at the gate; kids 5 and younger are free.
9 p.m. —320’s Club, 3005 S. Kansas Expressway, performing with Springfield’s M-Dock, cover charge

ArtsFiesta! is presented by SSCA; the City of Tlaquepaque, Mexico; American Family Insurance; Empire Bank; and the Springfield-Greene County Park Board.

For more information, media contact: Cindy Jobe, Sister Cities Coordinator, 417-864-1341 or 417-353-6424. Dowload an Artsfiesta! poster in Spanish or English here:

Artsfiesta! 2011 poster in English

Artsfiesta! 2011 poster in Spanish

After being postponed in 2009 until October because of the H1N1 virus and moving to the main stage of Artsfest in 2010, Artsfiesta! will be back in the spotlight on May 6, 2011 on the Founder’s Park stage in downtown Springfield at the corner of Jefferson Avenue and Water Street.

A male mariachi band will be traveling from our sister city in Tlaquepaque, Mexico to perform for the event. Grupo Latinoamericano and Grupo Libertad are local Mexican culture organizations who will perform a variety of colorful and historical dances.

Being back at Founder’s Park will allow these groups more space to perform and for community members attending the event to participate — so put on your dancing shoes, bring the whole family, and join the fun!

ArtsFiesta! – a Cinco De Mayo Celebration of Mexican art, culture, and music
Friday, May 6, 2011 from 6:30 – 9:30 p.m.
330 E. Water Street, at the corner of Jefferson and Water
Founder’s Park – downtown Springfield MO -
Adults $3 – Kids 10 and under Free!

At ArtsFiesta! which was held this year at ArtsFest on Historic Walnut Street, musical performances by Mariachi Femenil Nuevo Tecalitlan were alternated with a variety of colorful dances by Springfield’s Grupo Latino.

As always, this organization couldn’t function without all the hard work and infectious energy of our volunteers!

Grupo Latino poses in their revolutionary costumes.

Here’s a short video clip from the event:

Mariachi Femenil Nuevo Tecalitlan, our visiting all-female mariachi band for ArtsFiesta arrived in Springfield on Wednesday from Tlaquepaque, Mexico – via London. The world-traveling women are full of energy and immediately set about performing at venues throughout town.

On Thursday and Friday, the band performed at public schools including Boyd, Field, Weller, Bisset, Holland, and Willard Elementary schools. Also Drury and Missouri State Universities and the Boys and Girls Club.

They performed live on KY3 and taped ArtsFiesta! promotions for Ky3 and KSPR. Between all these events, the girls even had a chance to squeeze in a trip to Hammons Field for a Cardinals ballgame on Friday.

Thanks to all the host families and SSCA committees for coordinating performances and getting everyone to the right place at the right time.

Cross your fingers for good weather at ArtsFiesta! on Walnut Street tonight – it will be a grand performance!

An all-female Mariachi band, Mariachi Femenil Nuevo Tecalitlan, from Springfield’s sister city of Tlaquepaque, Mexico will be performing at ArtsFiesta! at 5 p.m. Saturday, May 1, 2010 at ArtsFest on Walnut Street.

Thursday, April 29 – the band will be performing for area public schools, Drury University, and the Boys and Girls Club.

Friday, April 30 – performances at area public schools and Missouri State University

Saturday, May 1, noon - performance at ArtsFest stage at Walnut and National

Saturday, May 1, 5 p.m. - ArtsFiesta! on the ArtsFiesta stage on Walnut Street

We weren’t quite sure Tlaquepaque was ready for The Garbonzos.

Springfield music fans have loved The Garbonzos for years, entertained by the band’s “hillbilly polka” music, crazy costumes and unpredictable antics. But when accordion player Chris Slatinsky showed up in a pink tutu for The Garbonzo’s on-stage preformance at Tlaquepaque’s Jardin Hidaldo, we wondered if the machismo culture of Mexico could handle such an affront.

As it turned out, Mexico was more than ready. Slatinsky’s graceful maneuvers in his tutu and mandolin player Michael “Supe” Granda’s Superman in flight imitation own over the crowd of more than 500 new fans. The highlight of the performance, however, was the clash of cultures that took place when The Garbonzos joined the 10-member Mariachi Femenil Tecalitlan on stage to close the evening of music after numerous calls for “otra” resulted in the encore.

Calling the entire experience “surreal,” members of The Garbonzos said they were please with the positive response they received in Mexico. In addition to Slatinsky and Granda, the band included John Ehlers on washboard and Tim White playing the guitar.

The Garbonzos were busy during their brief stay in Tlaquepaque. The performed four “on-stage” concerts even though it proved very difficult to keep the roving band on stage. They also played countless impromptu shows at the shops, restaurants and hotels of Tlaquepaque.

As the band walked to its first performance, playing their unique instruments along the way, they attracted much attention that quickly turned into a parade following them through the center of town. The Garbonzos also aroused curiosity as they entertained students at the CAI San Pedrito children’s center, teaching them how to play the child-sized washboards the band donated to the school.

The Garbonzos are veterans of Sister City music exchanges, having represented Springfield in Isesaki, Japan in 2005. In October, Springfield hosted Mariachi Femenil Nuevo Tecalitlan as they promoted Mexican culture through music by performing at elementary schools, universities and the community-wide ArtsFiesta! celebration.

Here’s a sample of The Garbonzo’s lively music at a Springfield, Missouri welcome party for the the all-female Mariachi Femenil Nuevo Tecalitlan band…

And another video clip of the two musical groups performing together at the 2009 ArtsFiesta! in downtown Springfield’s Founders Park…