Taste of Jalisco Festival Returns Feb. 3-5

Taste of Jalisco Festival festivities include carnival, car show, tequila tastings, live entertainment, food and more.

CATHEDRAL CITY – What started out as a celebration to honor the relationship between two sister cities — Cathedral City and Tequila, Jalisco, Mexico, is now an annual event celebrating its seventh year. The Taste of Jalisco 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.

The Seventh Annual Taste of Jalisco Festival is Feb. 3 -5, 2023 in downtown Cathedral City. This annual celebration honors the 26-year sister city relationship between Cathedral City and Tequila, Jalisco (Mexico) through culture, cuisine, music, and fashion.

The weekend includes a family-friendly carnival, artisan craft vendor market, tequila tastings, authentic Mexican cuisine, car show, and daily entertainment. Festivities kick off Friday, Feb. 3 beginning at 4 p.m. and features the raising of the flags, a proclamation reading from Cathedral City Mayor Rita Lamb, followed by live entertainment and the opening of the carnival and tequila tasting garden.

In addition to a giant Ferris wheel offering views of the entire city and surrounding area, the three-day carnival also will feature rides, amusements, and games for all ages on the festival lawn in front of City Hall. Along Ave Lalo Guerrero, more than 25 boutique vendors selling authentic Mexican arts & crafts and fun, unique products will add to the festive atmosphere. Admission to the vendor market and access to the carnival is free. Tickets are required and sold onsite for carnival rides and games, with discounted pre-sale tickets available through Feb. 2 via the festival website.

New this year, the Fiesta Zone inside the Community Amphitheater will feature access to additional kids’ activities, lawn games, food trucks, beer garden, tequila bar, and daily live entertainment. Those 21 and older can enjoy the beer garden and a high-end cocktail experience including premium tequila tastings. On Sunday, auto enthusiasts will enjoy a car show with an amazing lineup of high end and unique, custom created vehicles on the third level of the adjacent parking structure. Admission to the Fiesta Zone (including the Sunday car show) is $10 each day, and the first 500 Cathedral City residents with valid ID will receive free entry.

A highlight of the weekend will be entertainment from the Jalisco Community Stage featuring local and regional musical groups and live acts celebrating Mexican art and culture. The lineup includes multiple folklorico dance troupes, Las Tias, Dreaming of You (Selena tribute), Outlaw Mariachi, Corazon de Mana (Mana tribute), and a Saturday night headline performance by Grupo Control. Advanced tickets for the Grupo concert are $25 ($30 day of) and can be reserved at http://tasteofjalisco.com.

Specializing in norteño music, Control (aka Grupo Control) is a regional Mexican group based in Houston, Texas, who bill themselves as Los Reyes de la Cumbia (The Kings of Cumbia). Founded by Sergio Alberto Degollado (vocals, bass) and José Guadalupe Degollado (vocals, bajo sexto) from Control, Tamaulipas, Mexico, the group made its full-length album debut in 1999 with Cumbias Sin Control. Since then, they have released eight other albums, with a series of regional Mexican chart hits including “Ella Es una Diosa,” “Llueve Sobre Mojado,” “Viva el Amor,” and “Vuela Paloma.”

Event hours are Friday from 4 to 10 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday 11 a.m. to 8 pm. Festivities take place in downtown Cathedral City, at 68600 East Palm Canyon Drive. Parking is free.  For more information about the Taste of Jalisco Festival visit http://tasteofjalisco.com