OXNARD — The Mixteco/Indígena Community Organizing Project (MICOP) invites the Ventura County community to join in our seventh annual “Night in Oaxaca” celebration on August 5th from 6-9 pm at the Oxnard Performing Arts Center. With trilingual interpretation into Spanish, English and Mixteco, the evening welcomes a diverse crowd of MICOP members, supporters, and county leadership. All proceeds fund MICOP’s work of supporting, organizing and empowering Ventura County’s indigenous immigrant communities.
This year’s Night in Oaxaca will emphasize “Nuestras Estrellas”, or “Our Stars.” Our stars at MICOP are our donors, foundations, volunteers, staff and youth. Our work would not be possible without the contributions of our stars and we seek to honor them at our colorful evening of music, food and entertainment. We are very honored to have Oxnard Mayor Pro Tem, Carmen Ramirez, as this year’s keynote speaker. We are also delighted to announce that we will be awarding a record 21 scholarships to Ventura County’s indigenous youth.
Our evening will begin with a social hour, where guests are welcome to try Oaxacan bites like chapulines, (fried grasshoppers). Guests will also be welcomed to peruse a traditional Oaxacan Market (mercado) featuring local artisans that sell Oaxacan crafts. Our dinner will feature our signature Mixtec mole sauce prepared by a Mixtec elder, with support from Evita’s Mexican Restaurant of Ventura, California. We are excited to have the musical talents of marimba player Ariel Castro, and we will feature a traditional Oaxacan dance by Danza Chinas Oaxaquenos. The evening will close with the Dance of the Diablitos by the Devil Dancers of San Francisco Higos, Oaxaca, a unique Oxnard Mixtec youth dance group.
Night in Oaxaca is MICOP’s biggest and best yearly fundraiser! We are proud to report that each year our event has grown and has become more successful and more popular than the year before!
Night in Oaxaca will be held in the Oxnard Room of the Oxnard Performing Arts and Convention Center located at 800 Hobson Way in Oxnard, CA. Tickets are $60 each or $100 per pair. Sponsorships are also available until July 26th. To reserve tickets or to sponsor, please visit www.mixteco.org or contact Genevieve Flores-Haro at 805-302-1912.
We are honored to announce that this year’s Night in Oaxaca Honorary Committee for 2017 includes: VCCF CEO Vanessa Bechtel, Supervisor Steve Bennett, U.S. Representative Julia Brownley, Assembly Member Monique Limon, Ventura County CEO Michael Powers, Oxnard Mayor Pro Tem Carmen Ramirez, Oxnard Police Chief Scott Whitney and Supervisor John Zaragoza.
Our evening is brought to you by our anchor sponsor, The California Endowment, “Health for All” initiative. Major sponsors include: Peter O’Keeffe, VCCU, County of Ventura, Vallarta. Sponsors also include The Abundant Table, Solidarity Ventura County, Pitzer College, Las Islas Family Clinic, Magnolia Family Clinic, Community Memorial Hospital, and Rabobank.