It’s been three years in the making, but it’s back.
MXLAN is returning for the first time to McAllen since its inaugural event in 2019, as the McAllen Chamber of Commerce prepares to host the five-day summer event that celebrates the “young Latino culture” with style.
Kicking off Wednesday and running through Sunday, the event will be held at the McAllen Convention Center, located at 700 Convention Center Blvd. in McAllen. The chamber is encouraging residents to participate and witness a festival that provides live music and art that celebrates Latin culture and pays homage to Mexican heritage.
If the first MXLAN is any indication, there may be tens of thousands of residents participating this year. In its inaugural event, the festival saw about 81,000 visitors throughout five days, and after an almost three-year hiatus, chamber officials believe they will see a similar number in attendance this week.
They’re even calling it an “almost inaugural” event since it’s making somewhat of a comeback.
Chamber President and CEO Josh Mejia said “it takes a village” to hold MXLAN, adding that 17 staff members and over 100 volunteers have helped organize the event over a six-month period. Wednesday’s kickoff sees the culmination of that work that helped put the $150,000 event together.
It’s afforded various festivities such as the Creator in Motion event in which muralists from Mexico City and Oaxaca will be painting a mural that is 20 feet by 20 feet, the Neon Nights 5K Run, Artisan Mercado and Calenda Parade.
The event will also include three food festivals featuring the Mezcal & Tequila Catrina night, Return to the Fire, and Sabor a Mexico.
Mejia spoke much like a festival-goer himself Tuesday, and shared the festivities he’s looking forward to the most, including entertainment and culinary experiences.
“We have a great event called Return to the Fire that will be starring chef Larry Delgado and some of his colleagues in the industry to be able to provide a unique dining experience within the event,” Mejia said. “This is a celebration of our Latin heritage, Latin culture, the diversity that we have here. I would say it’s probably the most diverse Latin experience in the entire state of Texas.”
For Mejia, the event comes at a time when people are still coming out of the effects of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic, which is what shelved MXLAN the last several years.
After the Rio Grande Valley suffered the loss of thousands of residents to the virus, celebrating life and culture at MXLAN is a welcomed change of pace, he said.
Editor’s note: This story was updated to correct the 2019 event’s attendance figure.
