Free Heartbeat of Mexico festival set for Sep. 8 at Chapman University

The free ninth annual Heartbeat of Mexico festival is coming up on Sep. 8, at Chapman University’s Musco Center for the Arts. The mainstage concert will feature Mariachi Herencia de México on Sep.13.

From Aztec dancers to spectacular mariachi, the Heartbeat of Mexico Festival has been celebrating Mexican and Mexican-American culture and arts with thousands of community members for the past seven years.

With two stages, a program jam-packed with music and dance, community organizations, live painting, and a chalk art contest, as well as a beer garden and crafts, there is something for everyone to join in the festivities!

Get comfortable with lawn chairs and picnic blankets! Food will be for sale on site.

More than 1,200 people attended last year’s event at the Musco Center for the Arts and Aitken Arts Plaza at Chapman University.

Performances scheduled at this year’s event include:

• Kalpulli Hueyatl Wanawna, a Danza Azteca group
• Traditional music by Chapman University’s Mariachi Panteras
• Ballet folklorico by Relaìmpago Del Cielo
• Cumbia punk by Los Waraperos and Gabriela Penka

There will also be dance workshops by Claudia de la Cruz, DJ sets by DJ VinylRiche, and drag artist Kay Sedia as MC.

The Bowers Museum, Frida Cinema, Planned Parenthood Community Action Fund, and more, will also be involved to connect with the community.

Community Art

Community art highlights this year will include:

• The Chalk Art Contest will return, taking place from 12pm-5pm. Chalk, paint, brushes, and supplies will be provided free of charge for contestants to participate in either of two contests: chalk art or mural painting. Winners will be chosen by festival attendees and will receive a prize. Sign up for the chalk art contest here.
• Roger Eyes R., a multi-disciplinary artist, teaching artist, live painter, and muralist from Santa Ana, will also lead attendees in a collaborative art project called Local Loteria, highlighting memorable people, places, and objects from the surrounding community.
• Adriana Martinez, a multimedia artist, muralist, educator, and community art advocate who supports the preservation of traditional art-making practices and Mexican folk art, will facilitate a textileria (textile) workshop.
• Uplifting Soul Art, a local arts education and community events organization, will present a two-hour “Ojos de Dios” workshop focused on yarn-weaving patterns on wooden sticks and feather ends. The all-ages workshop will be guided by trained instructors and will include all necessary materials.

Mariachi Herencia de México the 2x Latin GRAMMY-nominated band from Chicago, headlines mainstage on Friday, September 13 at 7:30pm. They are paving the way for a new wave of mariachi musicians in the United States, representing a bicultural generation that is preserving the historic traditions of mariachi while embracing the endless evolution of the genre. The young, virtuosic band is composed of 14 musicians, ages 18-32. has issued five chart-topping albums and has performed across the North American continent.

Reservations for the Heartbeat of Mexico Festival and tickets for Mariachi Herencia de México are available here or by calling the box office at 844-OC-MUSCO (844-626-8726).

All print-at-home tickets include a no-cost parking pass. Musco Center for the Arts is located on the campus of Chapman University at 415 North Glassell, Orange.