With all the plane delays stranding Canadians in airports these days, Victoria is very lucky Mexico is coming to us this weekend.

The 16th annual Festival Mexicano takes place July 9 and July 10, starting at noon each day at Centennial Square. 

Pablo Cardenas | Photo Credit: Pablo Cardenas

You can experience the city’s Mexican culture, eat some darn good food, and take in performances by mariachi band Los Dorados, the Fiesta Latina Folklore Dancers, and acclaimed Latin-jazz piano player, Pablo Cardenas.

Saturday night is the main event, with a full concert performance by Pablo Cardenas and The West Coast Latin Combo at the Victoria Event Centre, which will no doubt be a sweaty and celebratory time. 

Pablo Cardenas hails from Cuba, where he studied piano in the most prestigious conservatories in Havana and the Dominican Republic. He invigorates audiences, jumping from jazz to Latin rhythms and packing dance floors everywhere he plays.

Presented by the Mexican Community Association of Victoria, the afternoon events are family-friendly and free. The all-ages Saturday evening show is $20 and tickets can be snapped up here.