Excitement builds for yearly event
The Conner Museum is hosting its yearly Tamalada Festival on Sept. 28.
Attendees can look forward to a variety of fun and educational activities that will highlight the Hispanic culture. The event, as always, aims to bring the community together while celebrating rich traditions.
“We hope that the community just has a really fun time. They just get to feel more comfortable on campus, and make it feel like home. We also want people to take away just a little bit of knowledge and maybe a little more pride in the history and the culture that we have in South Texas,” Director of Administration and Operations for the Conner Museum Kathy Pawelek said.
One of the events will be a Folklorico dance performance, showcasing the vibrant and traditional dances of the Mexican culture. This display offers the community a chance to experience an authentic expression of its heritage for the first time as the club makes its debut.
“I think by showing our dance it could open people’s eyes and say, ‘oh it’s not just about the food; it’s about, the dances, the dresses, the colors. Everything.’ There is so much more that goes into the culture,” dancer Isabel Vera said.
To tie the celebration together, a live band will perform, bringing the sounds of Mexico to the audience. The performances promise to be fun for everyone of all ages and even offers an opportunity for people to gather and dance along to their music.
“Our audience can expect a fun-filled and learning experience. We are going to take everyone through times of how conjunto/tejano/norteno music began and how it has evolved to what we are hearing nowadays. We hope everyone enjoys the show and we hope to connect our older generation, our middle generation and our younger generation through one source – music,” Lazaro Perez III said. Attendees can also expect tamale tasting, corn demonstrations, loteria and more. The festival is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 28, at the Memorial Student Union Building and is free.