It’s pre-Mariachi Extravaganza season and time to start planning for participation in the 31st Annual Mariachi Extravaganza. Join us for 3 full days of outstanding performances during competitions, workshops and a grand finale concert with competition winners, special guests and El Mejor Mariachi del Mundo – Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán. It’s all happening December 4-6, 2025 at the Lila Cockrell Theatre in the heart of downtown San Antonio.
The secret to making this trip as affordable as you can is to plan early. As long as you get your group registration in on or before Oct. 15, you are locked in at the early registration rate. Payment can be made after Oct. 15 so the most important task is to register!
REGISTRATION LINKS
As a reminder, you can register as a mariachi group or as an individual. If you’re registering for the vocal competition, and you are coming with your mariachi group, you must still complete the vocal registration form. If you’re registering as an individual for the vocal competition, click on the vocal registration link below.
Exhibitor space is limited to the first 10 exhibitors so be sure to register early to secure your spot!
Click here for group registration
Click here for vocal registration
Click here for exhibitor registration
Click here to purchase concert tickets
Also, check out this article on Parriva.com. Mariachi Vargas’ musical director – Carlos Martinez – talks about cultural pride and the importance of preserving the mariachi music tradition!
We look forward to seeing you in December and are working hard with our team to ensure a successful and memorable experience for all!
The Mariachi Extravaganza is made possible with support from KHS America Alianza Academica, H-E-B and County Commissioner Tommy Calvert.
Dear Ms. Cynthia,
This is a requested email regarding the telephone conversation you and I had yesterday about the reaction my family and I had to the 30th Annual Mariachi Extravaganza held in San Antonio, TX in December 2024.
As background, we are a first and second-generation Mexican-American family residing in Texas, with Mariachi music being our first love. When we heard about the 2024 Mariachi Extravaganza, with its goal to encourage and honor Mariachi music in schools, we immediately made plans to attend. Although we personally did not have students who were competing, we traveled to San Antonio from El Paso, Corpus Christi, Weslaco, Houston and Austin to attend and support the three-day event. We were astounded with the level of commitment to Mariachi music and the level of skill exhibited by the young musicians! All of the competitors were class acts, worthy of respect and encouragement.
We were unfortunately taken aback by the lack of respect and decorum toward the venue, the competitors and the audience exhibited by many of the musicians’ supporters during the event. Supporters brought placards, posters, wooden clappers, noise makers and, most annoying, air horns inside the theater. All of these were used during the event itself thereby, in many instances, drowning out and obstructing the performances of the competitors for the audience.
We totally understand the pride and support exhibited by the musicians’ supporters but the Mariachi Extravaganza, held in a public theater, for the purpose of showcasing the incredible talent of young musicians, was not the time nor place for supporters to showcase their bad behavior.
I assume that the Lila Cockrell Performing Arts Theater and the school administrations of the schools which the competitors attend have standards of decorum and rules to be followed when supporters attend events. It was an embarrassment to both to be in the audience during the 2024 Mariachi Extravaganza and observe these standards being disregarded.
Thank you for speaking with me and listening to my observations. We will definitely attend (at least six of us) the 2025 Mariachi Extravaganza with the hopes we can see, hear and support the youth competitors and enjoy Mariachi music. Additionally, thanks to you and your team for your hard work and dedication to this event and for supporting Mariachi music. May the good Lord bless you with many, many more years to continue with your outstanding mission of keeping Mariachi music alive through our youth! Please feel free to contact me if there is anything we can do to help you in your efforts.
Sincerely,
Rosa Dwyer
Rosa, thank you for attending the Mariachi Extravaganza and for taking the time to share your valuable feedback. I understand utilizing noise makers can get out of hand and I will ask our participants to inform their parents to leave these at home this year. It’s especially important for the artists and the overall experience for all attendees. Your feedback is very important to us and we hope you will join us once again this year. Best, Cynthia