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McALLEN — The city of McAllen will be putting cultural arts in the spotlight with the next iteration of its MXLAN Festival this coming July.
MXLAN 2023 was announced Monday morning during an elaborate ceremony and news conference held at the McAllen Performing Arts Center.
Monday’s announcement, titled “These Are our Roots, We Are The Flowers,” featured a performance by Edinburg North High School’s Grupo Folklórico Ritmo Dorado, as well as a musical performance by Lizzie Astorga.
The festival, which showcases art, music and food, was introduced in 2019 with a five-day event that saw over 80,000 people participate; however the city was forced to take a break from the festivities during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was reintroduced last year, and now the city is looking to take things to the next level with this year’s event.
“We talked to music enthusiasts, we talked to promoters, we talked to the business community, and we all came together to curate this fantastic event for the region,” city of McAllen Director of Convention Facilities Yajaira Flores said.
The city announced the creation of the McAllen Performing and Cultural Arts Foundation during Monday’s news conference. There will be a gala on Thursday, July 27 to kick off the event featuring musical performances by Leticia De Altamirano, Dante Alcala and Trio Los Panchos.
“The funds are going to be able to help emerging artists to be able to elevate the quality of arts that happens in the Rio Grande Valley,” Flores said. “That’s something we’re very proud of.”
Festivities will continue Friday, July 28 with the Neon Nights 5k/ Run featuring music and lights, the Spirits Mezcal and Tequila Premium Tasting Experience on Saturday, July 29 and Sabor a Mexico Food Festival on Sunday, July 30.
The city also announced some of the musical performances for MXLAN 2023, including Maye on Friday; Little Jesus, Glare and Lizzie Astorga on Saturday, as well as Kinky and Estevie on Sunday. There will be more musical performances announced in the coming weeks.
“Because of the enormous growth of the event, the city of McAllen has decided to take it into the next phase of growth, and we’re excited about that,” District 3 City Commissioner Omar Quintanilla said. “It’s gonna be a great event, and we’re looking forward to presenting it not only to the city of McAllen, but to the residents of South Texas.”
Other weekend-long festivities include the Gratitude Tunnel Art Project, Botanical Fridas, MXLAN Crafts Mask Building, the Calenda Parade, La Comunidad Art Project and Creator in Motion — in which muralist Irving Cano and other local artists create art pieces live and in front of an audience.
“It’s all about art and culture, and getting people to look at the roots and be proud of it,” Quintanilla said.
Registration for the Neon Nights 5K/ Run is already underway. Tickets for the MXLAN 2023 will be available soon, but entry to the facility will be free. For more information about the event, visit www.mxlan.com.
To see more, view Monitor photojournalist Delcia Lopez’s full photo gallery here:
Photo Gallery: McAllen’s MXLAN 2023 festivities to focus on roots in effort to grow arts and culture
