OXNARD — Mixteco/Indigena Community Organizing Project (MICOP) is inviting the public to attend its annual Oxnard Guelaguetza Festival on June 25th, 2023, from 11 a.m to 5 p.m at Plaza Park in Oxnard: 500 S. C Street, Oxnard, CA, 93030.
MICOP (Mixteco/Indígena Community Organizing Project) was founded in 2001 “to support, organize and empower the Indigenous immigrant community in California’s Central Coast.” MICOP serves over 12,000 unduplicated Indigenous migrant men, women, and children annually. MICOP organizes and trains the indigenous migrant community to become self-sufficient and successful members of the broader community. MICOP programs and advocacy in California’s Central Coast have created the state’s most advanced network of services available to indigenous farm workers.
Oaxaca state in southern Mexico is renowned for its vibrant culture, music, art, and dance of its huge indigenous population. Each of the state’s eight regions has distinct music, dance, clothing, and art. The Guelaguetza festival is Oaxaca’s biggest and most popular cultural and ethnic celebration in Mexico. It began in Oaxaca City in 1932 as a way to unite the cultures of Oaxaca State (of which the Mixtecos are one) in a joint celebration of their varied, rich cultures.
MICOP celebrated our first Guelaguetza in Oxnard in September 2007. It drew 500 people to an amphitheater in Oxnard to witness the spectacle of a large brass banda (who played each of the region’s unique songs) and several dozen dancers performing the unique dances of each of Oaxaca’s eight regions. Vendors sold traditional food and art. The event was a great success—much loved by all who attended—and it is becoming a popular annual event that draws thousands of Oxnard residents, music lovers, musicians, dancers, academics, and more.
MICOP is bringing this magnificent Oaxacan cultural event to downtown Oxnard in Plaza Park on June 25, 2023. Families will enjoy delicious Oaxacan cuisine and witness traditional dances reflecting the eight regions of Oaxaca. We welcome donations to make this event possible. Please send checks to “MICOP” with “Oxnard Guelaguetza Festival” in the memo to P.O. Box 20543, Oxnard, CA 93034, or donate online at www.mixteco.org/donate.For more information, please call Omar Reyes at ((805) 840-8912 or email events@mixteco.org