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SALT LAKE CITY — Oaxaca will be the focus of four events in Utah as the annual Guelaguetza celebrations in the southern Mexican state loom.
Centéotl: Magic, Culture and Tradition already happened Sunday at the Mexican Civic Center in Salt Lake City, organized by Los Hijos del Maíz.
The University of Utah, meantime, is hosting a free performance featuring traditional Oaxacan dancers and musicians on Tuesday, July 16, from 7-9 p.m. at the Pioneer Theater Company, 300 S. 1400 East in Salt Lake City. The event — Centéotl, the Utmost Oaxacan Fiesta, also organized with the support of Los Hijos del Maíz, a cultural group made up of local residents with roots in Oaxaca — will feature performers from the Cultural Organization YUHUA and the Monumental Band with Class, both based in Oaxaca.
Los Hijos del Maíz is hosting a third performance on Thursday, July 18, starting at 7 p.m. linked to the Oaxacan-themed activities, Donají, a drama that centers on a pre-Hispanic romance involving the Mixtec and Zapotec people. It will be held at Ogden High School, 2828 Harrison Blvd. in Ogden.
Guelaguetza celebrations each July are rooted in the traditions of the Zapotec people of Oaxaca, according to Irma Hofer, director of cultural affairs for the Mexican Civic Center. She's helping organize the Hijos del Maíz events.
Norma Carver, of Oaxaca en Utah, a group that promotes the culture of the state in Utah, said the planned Guelaguetza event her organization is hosting — the fourth of the varied activities— aims to celebrate and showcase the eight regions of the state. Oaxaca has one of the most concentrated Indigenous populations in Mexico, and the Guelaguetza celebrations are a major annual event each July in the state.
The Oaxaca en Utah Guelaguetza festival, also free to the public, is set for Saturday, July 20, and will go from noon to 10 p.m. at Heritage Park, 250 N. Fairfield Road in Kaysville. It will feature the dancing, traditional garb, food, fireworks and more of Oaxaca.
Guelaguetza celebrates "the rich Indigenous traditions, colorful costumes, lively dances and authentic music" of Oaxaca, reads a Facebook post about the Kaysville event. "It's a joyful expression of community and gratitude that brings people together in a spectacular display of culture and heritage."
Guelaguetza comes from the Zapotec word meaning "offering." The activities each year in Oaxaca stem from the annual traditions of the pre-Hispanic people of the region to honor what was believed to be the goddess of corn, Centéotl, according to the state of Oaxaca website. Corn is a staple of the diet of the area.
"It's going to be a great celebration to give thanks to mother earth basically," Hofer said of the Pioneer and Mexican Civic Center events. She estimates there are around 1,000 people in Utah who have roots in Oaxaca.
Guelaguetza activites in Oaxaca are set for July 22 and July 29.
