CHSAA to Host First-Ever Mariachi Festival in February

AURORA – As part of the Colorado High School Activities Association’s annual Music Festival, CHSAA will be hosting its first-ever Mariachi Festival on Friday, Feb. 23 at Skyline High School.

This one-day festival will be a collaborative mariachi experience that ends with a performance by Mariachi Las Dahlias, a Colorado-based female mariachi group that has performed at the Inaugural Ball of Jared Polis, the Governor’s Mansion for leaders in the LatinX community, the Crested Butte Music Festival and the Major League Baseball All-Star Week.

“CHSAA has done music events for a long time and a lot of really positive outcomes have come from those events,” said Janay Bird, St. Vrain Valley School’s Fine Arts Coordinator. “In Colorado, so many things are happening in music that aren’t traditional. In our district, one of those ensembles is mariachi. There are not many opportunities for mariachi ensembles to participate in outside of their building, so we’re hopeful that this opportunity will help other schools and districts consider making mariachi a class instead of a club or decide that it’s time to start a mariachi class.”

This event is co-led by Brian Crim (Skyline High School) and Priscilla Arasaki (Sunset Middle School).

What is the Mariachi Festival?
This Mariachi Festival will be a one full-day collaborative event. Students will have the opportunity for individual performances, rated or not, to learn music together, or break out into instrument groups to work on specific instruments together. The day will end with a mariachi concert by Mariachi Las Dahlias.

Who can participate in the Mariachi Festival?
This event is open to any middle or high school student groups in Colorado, you do not have to attend a CHSAA member school to participate. If you are a youth mariachi ensemble not associated with a school, you’re invited to participate, as well.

If you’re interested in participating, work with your teacher, sponsor or chaperone to sign your group up.

When does registration open?
Registration is open! The registration fee is $240 per group and covers participation at the event in addition to a ticket to the mariachi concert at the end. Fill out this form to register.

When does registration close?
Registration will close mid-February.

Can the general public attend the Mariachi Las Dahlias concert?
Yes! Anyone is welcome to attend the evening performance. Tickets are already included in the registration fee for schools and/or youth groups participating in the Mariachi Festival. Community members, friends and family are also welcome to attend. Tickets for the general public can be purchased here.

What time is the Mariachi Las Dahlias concert?
The Mariachi Las Dahlias concert starts at 6 p.m. and will be held in the auditorum of Skyline High School.

Who is Mariachi Las Dahlias?
Mariachi Las Dahlias is a Colorado-based female music group that performs music from their Mexican and LatinX heritage. The group performs Mariachi repertoire, music from or inspired by Latin America and a few original works. Mariachi Las Dahlias consists of five members with a variety of backgrounds, cultures and music careers. The instrumentation of the group includes three violins, a vihuela, and a guitarron. The mission of Mariachi Las Dahlias is to promote female representation and share music of Mexican influence throughout the state of Colorado.

Career highlights include performances at the Inaugural Ball of Jared Polis, the Governor’s Mansion for leaders in the LatinX community, the Crested Butte Music Festival and the Major League Baseball All-Star Week.