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McALLEN — Vibrant colors of blue, yellow, pink and green hung over a crowd of attendees here at Oval Park as papel picado, a traditional Mexican craft, helped create the lively ambiance of Latin culture.
The smell of tacos, espiropapas and churros also filled the air, making stomachs rumble and mouths water as one walked through the grounds at MXLAN in McAllen during opening night Friday.
Those in attendance wore flower crowns while others dressed in attire that represented Mexican culture such as shirts and dresses decorated with Otomi embroidery, a Mexican style also known as “Tenangos” which features vibrant colors, floral and animal designs. Others wore Mexican soccer jerseys repping their favorite soccer player.
These were among the familiar sights here at the McAllen Convention Center where the city of McAllen hosted its 3rd annual MXLAN event that celebrates the beauty of Latin culture.
The four-day event kicked off Friday evening with a welcome parade where dance groups performed traditional dances found in Mexico.
“Today we are going to perform traditional dances from Jalisco, mestizo Indigena of Tamaulipas, Colima, Nuevo Leon and Baja California Norte,” said Marco Antonio Romero, dance director at DanzArt Centro Dancistico in Pharr, who attended Friday evening’s festivities.
He explained that they have been rehearsing each dance since January to accurately represent the liveliness of each region.
For Romero, being able to perform these dances at an event like MXLAN gives him the opportunity to represent the joy of Mexican heritage.
“Keep our culture, our traditions, Mexican folklórico alive and bring a little piece of the place that we represent,” Romero said. “When we dance it’s not just a dance, we are bringing the traditions, ambiance and culture.”
And this is how McAllen officials have billed the event since its inception in 2019 — as a fair atmosphere that pays homage to authentic Mexican heritage and culture.
Those efforts have since gave way to events inspired by Oaxacan, Jalisco or Guatemalan arts and lifestyles, from street dancing parades encouraging crowd participation, to live painting demonstrations, to artisan mercados, to performers of various genres from Tejano to Mexican rockers such as Le Butcherettes, who performed in 2019.
MXLAN has also been economically and politically conscious with summits and a sister city ceremonial signing Saturday, all designed to support border trade relationships and further nurture a collaborative spirit between South Texas and Mexico.
Local performers get involved as well.
On Friday, several Valley high school bands marched in the parade and provided the music for dancers.
Yazmin Castillo, a 50-year-old native of Oaxaca, danced on the sidelines as she watched the parade pass by.
“We love attending events like this where Mexican roots are represented…” Yazmin said with a smile.
She and her husband, Diego Castillo, 61, attended MXLAN in 2019, when the couple took part in the calenda, a parade inspired by Oaxacan culture.
MXLAN represents to both Diego and Yazmin an event that doesn’t just celebrate Mexico’s influence on South Texas, but preserves it.
“There is a large population of Latinos, especially Mexicanos and I believe that the roots of our people, of our countries should never be forgotten,” Diego said.
Walking through the grounds of MXLAN people could be seen enjoying the various foods, taking photos in front of an archway decorated with pink flowers, and exploring the artisan mercado.
Inside the convention center, muralists and other artists painted panels where they got to show off their creative skills.
Among the artists were McAllen resident Luis Corpus, 43, and Rio Grande City resident Jackeline Quintero, 23, who were painting a portrait of a woman wearing a hairpiece common in Mexican tradition.
The pair who began working on their portrait early Thursday morning wanted to create a picture that depicted the region’s beauty.
“… Creating an image that was going to resonate using iconography, an aesthetic draw, something people can look at and think ‘wow it’s pretty,’ but then also to have that cultural connection where people can reflect back on the large Hispanic population we have down here,” Corpus said.
He explained that it is important that one continues to celebrate the mix of two cultures, the combination of two worlds that makes the Valley different.
One can see Corpus and other artists’ work throughout the four-day event which will run until Sunday.
Other festivities include the Spirits: Mezcal and Tequila Premium Tasting Experience, which was scheduled for Saturday together with performances from music groups such as Little Jesus, Glare and other artists.
To close off the final night at MXLAN on Sunday, attendees can enjoy a performance from singer-songwriter Carla Morrison at 8 p.m. at the McAllen Performing Arts Center, or catch MXLAN’s inaugural Lucha Libre match at 7 p.m. also on Sunday.
To end each night of celebration attendees can enjoy the MXLAN Lights Fireworks show.
