This Mother’s Day, Los Banos families will once again be able to celebrate with music, tradition and community spirit as the annual mariachi concert returns at the Los Banos Arts Council.
The concert has been a local favorite for years, offering something not usually found elsewhere in the city or surrounding communities.
Hosted by Joe G. Gutierrez, who has been working to organize mariachi events in Los Banos since the mid-1990s, this Mother’s Day concert has developed into a tradition.
What makes this celebration stand out is its focus on providing something different to local families, especially those seeking a way to honor the mothers in their lives.
The concert is offering limited tickets, creating an audience where every participant feels included in the show. Unlike larger city or county-sponsored concerts, this one is aimed at offering a more intimate and culturally richer experience.
The tradition began years ago with alternating Mother’s Day and Christmas mariachi concerts. The Mother’s Day concerts gradually became popular.
The holiday is well suited to this type of event, providing families with a thoughtful way to spend time together, listen to live music and celebrate the women who hold their homes together.
According to Joe, the headlining act this year is Mariachi Nuevo Santa Maria, a group known for its high-energy and emotional sets of traditional mariachi music. Their performance will be one of the highlights of the evening, offering the familiar music that appeals to audiences of all ages.
In addition to the main act, the celebration will also include local youth performers. Mariachi Juvenil Corazón Ranchero, a children’s mariachi group consisting of kids aged between 5 and 12 years old, will perform four songs during the evening.
The group is based in Los Banos and is a club that has been practicing for over a year to be ready for this performance. They will share the stage with Ballet Folklórico Los Colibrí, a local youth dance group from Los Banos.
Like the youth musicians, these dancers have practiced classic folklórico dance during the past year and will offer a series of pieces to perform at the concert.
Beyond their contribution of increased cultural diversity for the event, their participation allows young performers to perform before an audience and be appreciated for the efforts they put in.
Steve Suarez, the center representative, and Joe G. Gutierrez undertook the job of planning this year’s celebration. Both belong to a collective vision of adding value to Los Banos with programs that focus on local heritage and people’s unity.
Because of the popularity of the concert, organizers are cautioning interested community members against waiting until the last moment to purchase tickets. In previous years, tickets sold out around a week before the event.
While there are still seats left for sale, those who wish to attend should call Gutierrez as soon as possible for tickets at (209) 769-7953.
