Las Cruces International Mariachi Conference goes virtual for 1st time

LAS CRUCES, New Mexico — An international mariachi conference that brings student musicians across the country and Mexico to New Mexico will go virtual this year.

The Las Cruces Sun-News reports organizers with the Las Cruces International Mariachi Conference decided to gather online as cases of Covid-19 rise nationwide.

The conference is still slated for the second week of November, but live performances and in-person classes have been canceled.

“Covid-19 has inspired us to have to get creative and learn how to take advantage of the digital age,” Executive Director Robert Palacios said. “However, ‘the show must go on’.”

This year, for the first time, the Las Cruces International Mariachi Conference will be virtual.

The Las Cruces International Mariachi Conference began in 1994. Its mission is to preserve and promote the cultural art forms of Mariachi music and Folkloric dance through educational workshops and performance opportunities for youth and adults.

This year, organizers will still conduct educational workshops online and will virtually foster interaction among participants, educators, and volunteers.