National City Mariachi Festival and Competition

National City’s 2016 Mariachi Festival & Competition is a community-friendly event providing entertainment for families to come together and celebrate San Diego’s Mexican heritage through mariachi music, traditional ballet folkloric dancing, and a celebration of arts, culture, and culinary delights.

The mariachi program supports today’s youth in their artistic, individual and educational development. On March 11 and 12, 2016, prior to the festival, we are offering mariachi practitioners a two-day music conference at the University of San Diego. The conference will consist of mariachi music instruction and training for 300 students from throughout the United States by renowned Mariachi educators and practitioners. The conference participants will be invited to the mariachi festival and competition on Sunday, March 13, 2016, at Pepper Park in National City.