After great success over the past two years, Chapman University is excited to announce the addition of a second day of performances and celebrations at the third annual Heartbeat of Mexico festival over Memorial Day weekend.

Join us Saturday, May 26, and Sunday, May 27, for a weekend-long free fiesta of music and performances, outdoor events, food, crafts, and workshops, all centered around Mexican traditions and culture.

On Saturday, the Musco Center will host a free outdoor festival from 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. featuring performances from some of the top local and regional Mexican and Mexican-American music, dance, and folklórico ensembles. View the full schedule here.

In addition to free activities, this year’s festival will include evening concerts by GRAMMY Award-winning Artists Natalia Lafourcade and Mariachi Los Camperos.

Other new features to look forward to include a juried visual arts exhibition led by Chapman’s Hilbert Museum of California Art and a pre-festival cultural lecture series kicking off on Thursday, April 19.

Parking for the event will be free all weekend in the Lastinger and Barrera Parking Structures. Click here for parking details. 

We hope you all can join us for this weekend of festivities and fun! For additional information, visit the Musco Center event page.

Heartbeat of Mexico Schedule of Events

Saturday, May 26
2pm: Opening of the Juried Heartbeat of Mexico Art Show | Beckman Hall 404
7:30pm: Mariachi Los Camperos with Mariachi Mestizo | Musco Center for the Arts

Founded in 1961 by the famed late founder, Jose Natividad “Nati” Cano, Mariachi Los Camperos has been recognized with two GRAMMY awards for its role in popularizing mariachi in the United States. Known for world-class musicianship, artful interpretation of classic tunes, inventive arrangements, and tight vocal harmonies, the group has performed at prestigious concert halls, including Carnegie Hall and Washington D.C.’s Lincoln Theater, as well as recorded an album at Capitol Records’ largest recording space, Studio A. 

Sunday, May 27
1-6pm: Free Afternoon Festival | Bette and Wylie Aitken Arts Plaza
6pm: Natalia Lafourcade | Musco Center for the Arts

Lafourcade is a renowned singer, composer, music producer, fashion designer, and actress. Born in Mexico City, she began formally studying music at the age of 14, and signed with Sony Music in 2002 at the age of 17 to record her debut album. In 2005, she, alongside her band La Forquetina, received a Latin GRAMMY for Best Rock Album by a Duo or Group with Vocals for her second album Casa. Since then Natalia has recorded multiple award-winning albums, including her most recent album, Musas, which was awarded Best Folk Album and Best Long Form Music Video for the song El Documental at the 2017 Latin GRAMMY Awards.