Viva México Festival, the annual family-friendly event promoting Mexican heritage in Madison, will feature live music, traditional Latino folk dance, delicious Mexican food, exhibits, face painting, information tables, and more. La Movida Radio and Mid-West Family Broadcasting will host the annual celebration for the 23rd year on Sunday, Sept. 15 at Breese Stevens Field on Madison’s East Side.
“It’s a good excuse to come and experience Latino life and to commemorate and share our community with the non-Latino community,” Luis Montoto, co-owner of La Movida Radio, tells Madison365. “It’s a good opportunity for people to come and get to know our culture and come and taste our food. The Latino community is here to contribute, and we want to be part of this community, as well.”
Montoto says Viva Mexico is also a chance for young Latino kids who have grown up in American culture to really enjoy experiencing the culture of their parents and their grandparents.
“I guess that’s one of my main objectives: to expose our kids to the same culture I was exposed to because I was born and raised here in the U.S.,” Montoto says. “I’m from Texas, originally, but it was great to be exposed to the Latino culture, especially from my parents always speaking Spanish at home, and to get to know our culture.
“What I often tell young people is that in order to know where you’re going, you need to know where you’re coming from,” he adds. “It’s OK to be Mexican, it’s OK to speak Spanish, it’s OK to like tortillas and tacos and burritos and quesadillas, not just hamburgers and hot dogs and brats.”
The party is hosted by La Movida Radio, a Spanish-language radio station serving the Madison area co-founded by the Monotos.
“The station has been going really well … we’re doing good as the community grows, obviously the station grows, as well. So we’re doing pretty good,” Montoto says. “Many people consider us to be an important resource for the community. We try to stay busy and I think it’s a full circle. If we help our community, eventually it will help us as well as a station.”
The 23rd Annual Viva México Festival will feature a talented lineup of musical performers and will commemorate the official celebration of the independence of México at 2 p.m. facilitated by Ambassador Claudia Franco from the Consulate of México in Milwaukee with a presentation of the three flags and singing of the national anthems of México and of the United States of America.
City of Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway and City of Fitchburg Mayor Julia Arata-Fratta will deliver the proclamation of the event.
With the assistance of the Madison Police Department, Fitchburg Police and Fire Department, Dane County Sheriff, and Amigos en Azul, festivities are scheduled to start at 1 p.m. with the traditional “Car Caravan Parade,” beginning at Madison College Goodman South Campus
“Our car rally will be a little different this year because of the construction going on in downtown Madison. We’re going around Rimrock [Road], then John Nolen [Drive], go up to the [Wisconsin State] Capitol, and then going down E. Washington Ave to Breese Stevens Stadium,” Montoto says of the annual Car Parade that usually heads up South Park Street. “It all starts at the Madison College Goodman [South Campus] parking lot on the South Side. We’ve been doing the car rally for 23 years now.”
Participants in the parade can win cash prizes for the best-decorated car and the official Viva México Festival 2024 t-shirt.
“We’re inviting people from all countries, especially ones in Central and South America who are also celebrating independence, to come and celebrate their independence, get together and launch Hispanic Heritage Month,” Montoto says.
Lupita Montoto, co-owner of La Movida Radio and wife of Luis Montoto, says that they had 10,000 people come to last year’s event and they would love to see an even bigger attendance this year.
“I’m expecting even more people than that on Sunday. We’ve been really trying to include everybody these last couple of years since the community is growing so much … we are seeing more people from South and Central America nowadays,” she says. “So we really want to make this festival for everybody.
“This is a Latino festival that we also feel proud and promote many different countries. We love to see so many new people that come to the event, and not just Latinos, but also, white people that are really enjoying the food and the music and diversity and learning Spanish,” Lupita Montoto adds. “It’s a great opportunity to engage with the Latino community. It’s a fun time.”
Viva México Festival also signifies the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15-Oct. 15) when multiple countries celebrate their declared independence days including Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua, Mexico, Chile and Belize.
“Last year, we saw a big number of motorcycle riders, a Latino motorcycle group that they just formed in the last couple of years,” says Lupita Montoto. “They were a big part of the parade, and they also are getting ready to join the car caravan again. So that’s also going to be fun to see.
“It’s wonderful to see the new faces at this event every year and to also see the people who have been going for a long time. It is an event that just keeps growing and it’s always a lot of fun. We are excited about it. Hope to see a big crowd on Sunday.”
Viva México Festival is free and open to the general public.
