Superintendent F. Gus Sanchez is happy to invite the community to Chamizal National Memorial for the second year of our signature event, the Chamizal Cultural Festival. The Festival is an opportunity for visitors to experience some of the varied cultures and history that have shaped this Borderland. Join us to celebrate familiar stories and traditions or to discover something new.
The first day of the Festival, October 13 from 9:00 am to 1:30 pm, is dedicated to our education outreach program. Area middle school classes have been invited to watch a performance of El Chamizal: Wild River, Disputed Land, a stage production that tells the story of the Chamizal Convention through music, drama, and dance. After the performance, the students will visit activity booths to see examples of traditions, such as those of charros, cowboys, and Navajo storytellers and learn about Borderland history through activities such as the International Boundary and Water Commission’s (IBWC) mobile exhibit.
To kick off public Festival activities, Chamizal National Memorial, in partnership with the Consulate General of Mexico in El Paso, presents the film series Women of the Mexican Revolution in Film, which begins at 7:00 pm on October 13 with the free screening of La Negra Angustias. Two other films follow in the series with La Soldadera showing at 6:00 pm on October 14 and La Generala closing the Festival at 2:00 pm on October 15. Professor Yolanda Mercader from Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Xochimilco will present and discuss the films.
From 1:30 to 6:00 pm on Saturday, October 14 is the main Festival event featuring scheduled events and activity booths that demonstrate cultural elements of the Borderland and share the history of the Chamizal treaty. Visitors will be able to see dances performed by Tigua youths of the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo; hear traditional stories from Navajo Storyteller Alex Mares; participate in a guided walk with a park ranger to learn about Chamizal history; admire the rich traditions of charros as demonstrated by Omar Castro; browse the IBWC’s mobile river exhibit; connect to Buffalo Soldier history; find out about the Archeology Museum and Chamizal Park in Juarez; and much, much more. All activities will take place in and around the Chamizal National Memorial Cultural Center.
For questions or more information, please contact [email protected] or call 915-532-7273 x124. For general event and schedule information, please call the Cultural Center
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