Fiesta Mexicana is back. Here are the changes for this year's July 14-16 celebration in Topeka.
Fiesta Mexicana is somewhat scaled back this year, but the music, dancing and great food remain.
"Due to some last-minute things that are out of our control, the carnival will not be coming this year," said 2022 Fiesta Mexicana coordinating committee chair Alicia Guerrero-Chavez.
Other changes include the event's being shortened to three days, from July 14 through 16 and offering one musical stage instead of two, said Guerrero-Chavez.
Shuttle buses also won't be available, but regular Topeka Metro buses from downtown to the area will be available.
"One reason was that we were just coming back from being off from COVID," she said. "We scaled it back a little bit just to kind of do a soft welcome back.
"And then also having the (Country Stampede) at the same time as fiesta is great for the city in terms of having two big events going on, but it really taps the resources, and so makes that more difficult to kind of plan and utilize what the city has to make these events happen."
More: Topeka's annual Fiesta Mexicana is coming back this year, though it will be shorter and smaller
Many traditions of the long-running event remain, with food a staple.
"We are still going to have all the amazing foods that people are used to," Guerrero-Chavez said. "I know they've been missing that the last couple of years, so we are ready and prepared to feed the city.
"I would remind people if they just want to come get the food to come early, so they don't have to fight the crowds."
More: Here's everything you need to know about 2022 Country Stampede, including free tickets
Grupo Control will headline kickoff teaser on Saturday, July 9
The teaser to this year's events will begin at 4:30 p.m. Saturday at Evergy Plaza, 630 S. Kansas Ave.
Warming up for the band with Hispanic dance will be Ministerio de Danza Folklorica Sublime, KC. Pre-concert music will be provided by DJ Hawk and DJ Khadi.
Grupo Control will tease audiences with cumbia, a style of music similar to salsa.
"Cumbia is originally a style of dance from Colombia," said Jorge Alvarez, who is in charge of entertainment for the fiesta. "Then it arrived to Mexico and the genre hit hard in Mexico. It's like an upbeat kind of dancing."
This is not the first time Grupo Control has been part of Fiesta Mexicana.
"They came in five years ago," Alvarez said. "We had a really good response to them."
Another plus to the music is that audience members are likely to get up and dance, a popular part of festivities.
Plenty of room to dance will be a part of all other musical events, which will take place July 14 through 16 on a stage in Our Lady of Guadalupe's parking lot at 201 N.E. Chandler. A beer garden will also be nearby.
More: Music Week July 8-16 will offer a taste of what music lovers enjoy all year long in Topeka
Schedule of music events
July 14
• 5:30 p.m.: the Guadalupe Fiesta Dancers will open the day's musical events.
• 6:45 p.m.: Grupo Picante will take the stage.
• 7:30 p.m.: Paradise Band will be featured.
• 8:15 p.m.: Las Estrellas
• 9:15 p.m.: Chente Barrera
• 10:45 p.m.: Grupo Bryndis
July 15
• 5:30 p.m.: To be announced
• 6:45 p.m.: Ballet Folklorico de Topeka
• 8:15 p.m.: Conjunto Nueva Leyenda
• 10:15 p.m.: Pepe Tovar y sus Chacales
July 16
• 5 p.m.: Beverly Bernardi Post dancers
• 5:30 p.m.: Our Lady of Guadalupe Fiesta Dancers
• 8 p.m.: Mariachi Habanero
• 6:45 p.m.: Ballet Folklorico de Topeka
• 9:15 p.m.: To be announced
• 10:30 p.m.: America Cuevas y su grupo Terco
This year, the main strip will be along S.E. Chandler, from Our Lady of Guadalupe church to the Santa Fe parking lot, where the carnival will be held.
Construction on N.E Seward Avenue is complete so people hoping to park in the area won't find it an obstacle.
As a reminder, there will be no shuttle.
More: Here's what Topeka chef Ambroja Watson found on the set of TBS show 'Rat in the Kitchen'
Other activities
For all ages, the fiesta mercado, located near the front of the church, will offer such items as fiesta attire, religious items, handmade bracelets and other jewelry, novelty items, Our Lady of Guadalupe and fiesta souvenirs, and more. The traditional cascarones — hollowed-out eggs filled with confetti — will be a staple.
More: Increasingly popular Topeka food trucks offer an expanding variety of cuisines
How to volunteer at Fiesta Mexicana
"We will take anybody who wants to volunteer," Guerrero-Chavez said. "So if people are looking to volunteer, if they just find one of us in our committee shirts, we will direct them to where they need to go.
"I think it's fun volunteering. You can still get to see lots of people and just be a part of it. So it's kind of nice."
Those who wish to set up a time now may call (785) 260-3128.
Catheryn Hrenchir is a feature writer for The Topeka-Capital Journal. She can be reached at chrenchir.gannett.com or (785) 817-6383.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: A concert at Evergy Plaza will open events at the Fiesta Mexicana 2022
