SANTA CRUZ—The annual Guelaguetza Santa Cruz festival unfolded Sunday at Branciforte Small Schools, an outdoor event that celebrates the culture of Oaxaca, Mexico.
Dazzling costumes and dance, a large orchestra—heavy in brass and woodwinds—food tents, arts and crafts of the region and plenty of sunshine filled the day.
As the smell of tamales and mole salsa, roasted corn, chili peppers and chocolate wafted through the grounds, lines of customers waiting for freshly prepared foods swelled within minutes of the gates being thrown open.
Keeping tradition alive, one stand had on their menu traditional chapulines, or grasshoppers, that are toasted on a comal and seasoned with garlic, lime juice, chilies and/or salt.
Put on by Senderos, the event initially started at Harbor High School on their sprawling athletic field and track. But it eventually moved to the benchlands at San Lorenzo Park in downtown Santa Cruz. Then Covid-19 came and erased it altogether for the past three years.
Guelaguetza is a Zapotec word that means a commitment of sharing and cooperation, according to the Senderos website. Guelaguetza is a celebration that honors the gods for sufficient rainfall and a bountiful harvest.
