Fiestas Patrias Mexicanas will host its annual Hispanic Cultural Day this Friday, Sept. 14, in anticipation of Hispanic Heritage Month, which begins on Sept. 15. The event will take place at the Palace Theater in Downtown Bryan from 6 to 9 p.m.
The event is a celebration of Hispanic culture open to the Bryan-College Station community and will include traditional artistic performances and the awarding of scholarships to community members pursuing a higher education. Performers at this year’s Cultural Day will include Ballet Folklóricos from Houston along with singer Javier Aguilar and his mariachi band, Pura Sangre.
The intricate footwork and vibrant costumes of the folklórístas will highlight the importance of storytelling in Mexican culture, while the bright sounds of brass instruments and lyrical tune of the acoustic guitar from Pura Sangre will capture the heights of love and the depths of loss woven intricately into Mexican national identity.
Event organizer Alma Villarreal noted that the Fiestas Patrias Mexicanas organization supports not only the preservation of Hispanic culture, but also the pursuit of higher education.
“The main focus of this organization is to raise funds for scholarships,” Villarreal said. “These scholarships will be presented to applicants of the annual Fiestas Patrias Mexicanas essay contest who demonstrated academic excellence and community involvement in their entries. A court of finalists is put together for this award ceremony, and this year’s potential winners include Alfredo Rojas, Jessica Vega, Jessica Mendoza, Nasadia Davis, Cameron Liotta, Gabrielle Jackson and Valentin Cisneros.”
Villarreal explained that the aim of the Fiestas Patrias Mexicanas scholarship program is to support a variety of different students.
“[We have the court] King and Queen which have to be [graduating] high school students going to college next year … then we have high school students that are still two years [from] graduating … college students that are going to A&M or Blinn and then the teachers’ contest,” Villarreal said. “So we have four contests and give out three scholarships per category.”
Another important expression of Mexican culture that will be showcased at Fiestas Patrias’ Cultural Day is the traditional performance of the “Grito de Independencia” by Hispanic representative María Elena Orantes.
“Grito de Independencia,” or “Grito de Dolores,” means “Cry for Independence.” The custom commemorates Father Miguel Hidalgo, whose cry for Mexican independence from Spanish rule is still shouted each year on Sept. 16, when Mexican Independence Day is celebrated. Phrases including “¡Viva México!” “¡Viva la independencia!” and “¡Vivan los héroes” will be sung out during “Grito de Independencia” this Friday in Downtown Bryan.
Without the funding and support of the local governments of Bryan and College Station, none of this would be possible, Villarreal noted.
“It’s important that they’re doing something for the community,” Villarreal said. “Not only [the] Hispanic [community], all of the communities, all of the cultures, they all come.”
