Coming soon: Rita Moreno and our Dia de los Muertos event!
In October, we'll honor our families and loved ones as we celebrate the arts and community

Estimados,

There's nothing like being in the presence of a legend. Next month we'll be doing just that when the iconic actress, singer, and author Rita Moreno joins us right here in the South Bay to share her story. We still have a few tickets left for the October 17 event -- don't miss out!
[image: Rita Moreno book cover]
The star, whose career includes everything from her Oscar-winning performance as Anita in West Side Story to educating and entertaining children on TV's Electric Company, will give us insight into her life. Expect to learn about her tumultuous childhood, her romance with Marlon Brando, and her stellar career.

She'll also talk about and sign her new book, Rita Moreno: A Memoir.
 
¡VivaFest! is partnering with the Commonwealth Club to present this special event at Mayer Theatre at Santa Clara University, 500 El Camino Real, Santa Clara.

The event begins with check-in at 6:30 p.m. on October 17, with the program starting at 7 p.m. and a book signing at 8. General admission is $30, but you can use the promo code "VIVAFEST" to get in for $20! Student tickets are $10. 

In other news, "A Conversation with Paul Williams and Tracey Jackson" has unfortunately been canceled, but we are planning other exciting events in our speaker series. Stay tuned.


Dia de los Muertos

[image: Children at Dia de los Muertos]

Later in October, Dia de los Muertos will be very much alive in San José as ¡VivaFest! co-presents a celebration: live music, an arts expo, and community altars to honor our families and loved ones. What will this celebration sound like? A vibrant mixture of mariachi, alternative rock, Afro-Colombian dance music, and cumbia from the 1950s and '60s. [image: Dia de los Muertos logo]

The art show is scheduled for Wednesday, October 23, in the San José City Hall Rotunda. We'll be projecting the image of our ¡VivaFest! poster onto the Rotunda Dome, so you can't miss it! The festival is planned for Saturday, October 25, at St. James Park. A full line-up will be available soon.

For now, we can give you a preview of just some of the exciting musicians who are scheduled to join us for Dia de los Muertos. Clockwise from top left in the pictures below are: La Misa Negra, Mariachi Azteca, Moonlight Trio, Mariachi Mi Tierra Linda, and Minerva. Learn more about the artists.

As an added bonus, Sonido Clash will fill in between sets, contributing their unique DJ artistry to the event. It's going to be quite a party.

[image: Dia de los Muertos bands]

As part of the event, we're also putting a call out for LGBT artists to form an LGBT mariachi band to play at the October 25 festivities. Musicians chosen to be a part of Mariachi Arcolris ("rainbow") will get to perform on the main stage, and also star in a promo video about the band! 

For more information, email us at info@mhcviva.org.

[image: LGBT Artists poster]


A season of enchantments

One more note: remember, you can take the colorful spirit of ¡VivaFest! home with you in our season poster. Artist Ana Ramirez created this limited-edition work of art, with only 50 available for purchase.

[image: VivaFest poster]

Order your "Songs in the Key of Mexico" season poster for $25 ($35 for posters signed by the artist), and expect delivery three to four weeks after we receive your order.

It's a thrill to get to work with artists of this high caliber, as we continue to celebrate the creativity of our community!

And we're always grateful to our community partners, like Southwest Airlines, who supported our student and instructor travel to the recent White House national forum on the arts. We'll bring you a full report from that trip in our next newsletter.

Saludos,

Marcela 


 

 

Funding for the Mexican Heritage Corporation and its programs such as ¡VivaFest! and its mariachi education program is provided in part through: a grant from the Office of Cultural Affairs of the City of San José, The National Endowment for the Arts, The TomKat Charitable Trust, The Hewlett Foundation, The Union Bank Foundation, Wells Fargo Bank, MACYs, Southwest Airlines, Mundo Fox, earned revenue from ¡VivaFest! and from readers like YOU. THANK YOU. To learn more about all of our generous donors please visit www.vivafest.org/sponsors.

 

[image: donate now button]

  



About Mexican Heritage Corporation
The mission of the Mexican Heritage Corporation is to affirm, celebrate, and preserve the rich cultural heritage of the Mexican Community and showcase multicultural arts within the region.
 

 

Mexican Heritage Corporation 
Marcela Davison Avilés
President and CEO
More Information: 877-MHC-VIVA