Viva México

Viva México returns to the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center on Saturday, September 12, from 4 PM to 9 PM. Now in its 19th year, it's an outdoor celebration of Mexican Independence Day, presented by the center in collaboration with Univision. The whole thing pays tribute to Mexico's independence and to the city's Mexican, Mexican-American, Latino, Chicano and Tejano communities, centering on the 1810 Grito de Dolores — the call to arms by priest Miguel Hidalgo that launched the war for independence. This year's image is Quetzalcoatl, the Aztec 'Feathered Serpent', a god of wisdom and learning.

The lineup runs through the afternoon and evening, pulling from across the region. It kicks off at 4 PM with San Antonio's all-female cumbia band La Sonora Hechicera, followed by Danza Azteca Guadalupana at 5 PM — a group founded in 2011 by the Flores family. Ricardo Castillon y La Diferencia take the stage at 5:30 PM, and at 6 PM the play La Corregidora runs inside the auditorium. Ballet Folklorico de Austin follows at 6:30 PM; they were founded in 2014 by artistic director Edgar Yépez-García. Latin Breed plays at 7 PM, and then at 8:15 PM comes El Grito and the Mexican national anthem. Mariachi Alma Mexicana takes over at 8:30 PM, and the night closes at 9 PM with a grand finale featuring both mariachi and ballet folklorico.

Beyond the music and dance, there's a vendor market and food trucks on site, and the event is family-friendly and alcohol-free, with free children's art activities and games. It's free to attend, so you can drop in for a few acts or stay for the whole run from the first cumbia set to the final mariachi bow. The center is at 600 River St, Austin, TX 78701.