SILVER CITY, NM—The Western New Mexico University signature cultural event, ¡Fiesta Latina!, returns to campus June 5-8. Through ¡Fiesta Latina!, WNMU seeks to recognize, celebrate and assist in the preservation of New Mexico’s connection with its Mexican heritage, customs and traditions.
At the center of the four-day festival is a juried artisan mercado that showcases the handmade work of approximately 35 highly skilled traditional artisans from across Mexico. These folk artists will be on-hand to educate fiesta-goers about their processes and to answer questions about their artistic traditions. In addition to traditional art such as metal working, ceramics and textiles, the mercado this year will feature artists working in less common fields, such as mask-making and basket-weaving.
Artisans will also be demonstrating their techniques at a dedicated tent where patrons can get hands-on experience. A children’s tent will have activities for children, coordinated by the Silver City Museum.
The fiesta also includes music and dance by both traditional and contemporary performers. The opening night concert at Fountain Stage at Regents Square features Maruja Limón, a female sestet from Barcelona whose music is a mix of flamenco, pop and Latin rhythms.
Mariachi Plata de WNMU will be the opening act for Friday evening’s concert, followed by Mariachi Femenil Estrella de Mexico from Guadalajara.
The music continues Saturday afternoon and evening with Las Cafeteras, Los Texmaniacs and K-PAZ de la Sierra. On Sunday afternoon, Charros takes the stage.
Film screenings and discussion will also be a highlight of ¡Fiesta Latina!, with showings of Voces de Latinidad on both Friday and Saturday. The film screenings will take place in the Light Hall Theater.
WNMU ¡Fiesta Latina! will include a fashion show that highlights the intricately made textiles and other wearables available in the artisan mercado. The show will be held Saturday at 2:00 p.m. on Regents Square.
Also on Saturday, there will be a tequila tasting 4:00-6:30 p.m., with an opportunity to sample traditionally handcrafted tequilas from across Jalisco, Mexico. In addition, food vendors will be on campus throughout the festival.
Alexandra Tager, WNMU Director of Cultural Affairs, which produces the event, said that ¡Fiesta Latina! is designed to acknowledge the deep roots that New Mexico shares with Mexico. “The people living in the border regions and beyond continue to be influenced by these roots not only in art, food, and music but in the language and customs as well,” she said. “As an Hispanic Serving Institution, WNMU and ¡Fiesta Latina! aim to highlight those connections by creating fun, engaging, educational experiences for folks living in or visiting the borderlands to enjoy.”
“It is super important and fascinating to explore these connections,” she said, referring to the cross-border cultural commonalities. “We have such divisive conversations about the border, framed as us-versus-them … but when you look at all these cultural traditions—artistic, musical, culinary—you erase the difference. There is no us-and-them.”
Tager said that she was excited about the diverse talent that would be at ¡Fiesta Latina! this year, especially given how difficult it has been lately for artists from Mexico to get visas to travel to the United States.
This year’s fiesta is made possible through generous funding from the Town of Silver City, among other local sponsors. The event is free, except for Saturday night’s headline concert and the tequila tasting. A schedule of activities, tickets, and additional information are available at fiestalatina.org
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Since 1893, Western New Mexico University has served the people in its region as a comprehensive, rural, public body. As a Hispanic-Serving Institution and the state’s only public Applied Liberal Arts and Sciences university, WNMU is committed to developing cross-cultural opportunities that encourage people to explore new experiences. The WNMU student body represents every segment of southwest New Mexico’s diverse population.
