The 8th Annual Taste of Jalisco Festival presented by Agua Caliente Casinos, returns to downtown Cathedral City from Feb. 2 – 4, 2024. This annual celebration honors the 27-year sister city relationship between Cathedral City and Tequila, Jalisco (Mexico) through culture, cuisine, music, fashion, and fun.
The weekend includes a family-friendly carnival which has expanded in size from previous years, artisan craft vendor market, tequila tastings with a tequila tasting competition, plus authentic Mexican cuisine, and a Sunday-only car show. Daily entertainment at the Jalisco Community Stage will feature local and regional musical groups and acts celebrating Mexican art and culture.
The celebration kicks off Friday with the official flag raising at 5 p.m., followed by the opening of festival grounds, artisan market and entertainment featuring Outlaw Mariachi. The official tequila tasting takes place at 6 p.m. and offers a fun, educational exploration through the world of tequila (must present valid ID). Also, for those 21 and older, the party continues at neighboring Agua Caliente Casino Cathedral City at 9 p.m. with a free performance by Nacho Bustillos. Cathedral City residents receive free admission on Friday, Feb. 2, 2024, with a valid driver’s license OR utility bill.
Playing a variety of Latin music, Bustillos will be accompanied by a full mariachi band.
Headlining this year’s festival is a live performance of the Legends of Lucha Libre Mexicana at 6 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday nights. Lucha Libre has played an important role in Mexican culture since the late 1950s. The sport became famous mainly due to its masked wrestlers, who incorporated their own family traditions, beliefs, and fears into the design of their masks, transforming an ordinary person into a fearless character.
Saturday’s wrestling matches feature Champion Tinieblas Jr. with Alushe along with PWR tag team champions Lucha Solos: Galeno Del Mal, Super Astro Jr., Rey Leon, Fatal, and many more. Sunday evening’s performance will feature the women’s championship match of Keyra vs. Barones, plus Solar, Solar Jr, Damian 666, Bestia 666, and White Tiger, among others.
Additional entertainment follows the wrestling with Dreaming of You Selena (Ultimate Tribute to Selena) taking the stage at 9 p.m. on Saturday and Carlos Santana tribute favorite – Savor the Band performs at 3 p.m. on Sunday.
Admission to the festival is pre-sale $4 per person – available online, and $5 at the door (children 5 and under are free). Carnival rides, wrestling show, food and drink are additional fees. Unlimited carnival ride wristbands start at $25 each and “Legends of Lucha Libre” tickets start at $26. VIP tickets which include exclusive access, premium seating, meet and greet, and other benefits are also available. Tickets for all activities are available at tasteofjalisco.com.
Festival hours are Friday from 5 to 11 p.m., Saturday noon to 11 p.m., and Sunday noon to 9 p.m. with the carnival starting at 1 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. Festivities take place in downtown Cathedral City, at 68600 East Palm Canyon Drive. Parking is free. For tickets and more information about the Taste of Jalisco Festival visit tasteofjalisco.com.
ABOUT A TASTE OF JALISCO FESTIVAL
Now in its eighth year, Taste of Jalisco Festival celebrates Cathedral City’s Sister City relationship with the City of Tequila in the state of Jalisco, Mexico. The festival honors this relationship through music, fashion, culture, spirits, and cuisine. The Sister City relationship was first established in 1996 when the two cities entered into a formal Sister Cities agreement. Since then, exchanges between the Cities included art, culture, governmental best-practices, youth focused educational opportunities, donation of firefighting equipment, and firefighter training, among others.
