Las Vegas Sun

March 18, 2024

Events:

Concerts, festivals, boxing and more on tap for Mexican Independence Day, Hispanic Heritage Month

Fiesta Las Vegas expands to two days

Las Vegas International Mariachi Festival

Glenn Pinkerton/Las Vegas News Bureau

Mariachi Vargas performs during the 2010 Las Vegas International Mariachi Festival at the Rio on Sept. 18, 2010.

Get your planners out. Hispanic Heritage Month gets underway Monday, and, with a focus around Mexican Independence Day on Tuesday, there are more than enough concerts, festivals and other events in Las Vegas to keep people busy over the next four weeks.

An estimated 300,000 visitors came to Las Vegas by air travel alone for the 2013 Mexican Independence weekend, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.

Tourists and locals are treated to numerous music acts that come in from all over Latin America to perform on the Strip, sporting events, and the yearly Fiesta Las Vegas parade and festival.

Hispanic Heritage Month runs from Monday to Oct. 15, but the majority of the events are scheduled around Mexican Independence Day.

    • A matachin dancer performs during the Fiesta Las Vegas parade Sept. 15, 2012.

      Festivals and fairs

      Since launching in 2011, Fiesta Las Vegas has grown each year. Now, for the fourth installment, the annual parade and fair is expanding to two days.

      “We’ve been so pleased with overall attendance the last few years at Fiesta Las Vegas, the involvement of community groups and the support of business sponsors that we’ve decided to expand the event to cover two days and add a new venue,” said Anastacio del Real, co-founder of Fiesta Las Vegas.

      The parade will still be held downtown, on Fourth Street between Gass and Stewart avenues, and kicks off 10 a.m. Saturday with Gov. Brian Sandoval as the grand marshal, leading floats representing various Latin American nations as well as local and national entertainers through the heart of Las Vegas.

      The fair portion moves to the Clark County Amphitheater this year and will take place from noon to 10 p.m. Sunday. Performers include 14-year-old mariachi star Luis Enrique, Diana Reyes and Conjunto Amenaza. For the first time, the festival portion has an entry fee of $5 in advance, $7 at the door.

      The Las Vegas International Mariachi Festival, now in its 24th year, is Sept. 20 at Planet Hollywood, and features mariachi stars Vicente Fernandez Jr. and Angeles Ochoa.

      Henderson will hold its annual Hispanic Heritage Parade on Oct. 4. The event was first held in 2000.

    • Marc Anthony

      Concerts

      Some of the biggest stars in Latin music come to Las Vegas every year around this time. This year is no exception, with a selection of rock, jazz, mariachi and pop to choose from. Acts include:

      • Popular Mexican crooner Marco Antonio Solís, who just released an anthology album, Friday at Planet Hollywood.

      • Marc Anthony, the top selling tropical salsa artist in history, following Solis on Saturday at Planet Hollywood.

      • Latin music superstar Luis Miguel, who has sold more than 100 million records worldwide, Friday through Monday at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace.

      • Arturo Sandoval, a Cuban-Caribbean jazz trumpet virtuoso, Saturday at the Smith Center for the Performing Arts.

      • Legendary Mexican mariachi singer Alejandro Fernández, Sunday at the MGM Grand.

      • Mariachi El Bronx, a rock-mariachi band that is, confusingly, from Los Angeles, Friday through Monday at Book & Stage at the Cosmopolitan.

    • Sports

      Las Vegas’ own Floyd Mayweather Jr. will enter the ring with Argentine Marcos Maidana, a former WBA welterweight champion, Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

      This is a rematch of a May 3 fight also held at MGM. In that fight, Mayweather won a majority decision with one judge scoring the bout a draw.

    • Gabriel Iglesias performs at the Mirage Sept. 12-14.

      More

      If concerts, boxing and festivals aren’t your type of fiesta, there are still plenty of events going on around town to put you in the festive spirit.

      The Cosmopolitan, as it has done in years past, will have a midnight ceremonial ringing of the bell to announce Mexican Independence Day on Monday. There will be a champagne toast, and performances by mariachis and folkloric dancers. Mariachis also will be roaming the resort the entire weekend for impromptu performances.

      Comedian Gabriel Iglesias, who voices a character in the upcoming animated film “Book of Life,” will do a three-night run Friday through Sunday at the Mirage.

      Additionally, many restaurants around town are offering drink and food specials for Mexican Independence Day. Among them:

      • MGM Grand's Hecho en Vegas will feature various drink offerings and specialty menu items in honor of Mexican Independence Day.

      • STK at the Cosmopolitan is offering a special tequila basil cocktail known as the "Basil'rita" through Tuesday.

      • The Buffet at Aria is offering endless margaritas with buffet purchases Friday through Tuesday.

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