TEMPE, AZ — From mariachi bands to arts and crafts for the kiddos to food trucks… El Puente Festival has something for everyone!
“We're going to have Ballet Folklórico Quetzallí […] and they are going to be performing with live mariachi music. And [it takes place in] a beautiful 500-seat theater. So, all the families can come in and sit down, get comfortable, there's room for everybody,” said Carmen Guerrero, Executive Director for the Cultural Coalition. “In the small theater, we're going to be showcasing three different mariachi groups; Rosie’s House from Phoenix is going to be there at 4:15, The Harmony Project is going to be there at 2:15 and at 3:15 we are showcasing a new mariachi, which is mostly young people and it's called Mariachi Estrella de Cobre. So that's what's happening in these theaters.”
These live performances are free to the public, but you do need to order tickets. You can get them at the box office or online.
- Harmony Project Phoenix: click here to reserve your tickets.
- Mariachi Estrella de Cobre: click here to reserve your tickets.
- Ballet Folklórico Quetzallí: click here to reserve your tickets.
- Rosie’s House: click here to reserve your tickets.
There are several other activities for the kiddos that will take place inside the Tempe Center for the Arts.
“We're [going to] have mask-making for the children inside the gallery. And besides beautiful art, there's going to be [.] activity bracelet making for the children in the Lakeside room. We're going to have different kinds of storytelling and small performances. And then, we also have the bookmobile in the back... in the breezeway of the Center for the Arts giving free books to the children. The bookmobile is like a library inside a bus. It's really cute and the kids like coming, going through it, and picking one book [ to take] home to read. So, we're also trying to foster literacy,” explained Guerrero.
The festival ends with a community procession that will take place on the Tempe pedestrian bridge at sunset.
“We march over the pedestrian bridge in our costumes and our masks, our artwork that we made with the kids’ decorations, and we celebrate being in the desert - having a ‘puente’ - having a bridge, which is a metaphor for understanding each other through the arts,” said Guerrero.
IF YOU GO
- When: Sunday, April 21, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
- Cost: Free Admission.
- Where: Tempe Center for the Arts [700 W Rio Salado Pkwy]
- The full schedule of performances can be found here.
The video in the player above showcases the best things to do in the Valley this April. The 12th Annual El Puente Festival is featured in minute 13 of the show. Read about the other monthly events, right here.
