On Aug. 29, Jalisco in Evanston came to town for the eighth consecutive year. More than 600 people attended the free event at the Levy Senior Center. Ariadna Garbuno, President of FEDEJAL (Federacion Jaliscienses del Medio Oeste), was there, as was Evanston Mayor Steve Hagerty. The Mayor addressed the crowd and issued a proclamation naming Aug. 29, 2019, “Evanston Hispanic Heritage Day.”

Evanston is one stop on the 18-city “Mexico en el Corazon” tour. The tour will cover 15,000 kilometers of terrain, including a new stop in Vancouver, Canada. The program features Ballet Folclorico Guadalajara, the official dance group of Guadalajara, and the Folkloric Ballet of the University of Guadalajara, which stun audiences by presenting Mexican traditions through music and dance.  

The tour is an initiative of NAIMA (The North American Institute for American Advancement) a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote the active participation of the Mexican community in North America. A collaboration of NAIMA, FEDEJAL and the Club Pro-Obras Juanactlan, most of whose members live in Evanston, brought the colorful performance to Evanston.