EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) – The City of Juarez is planning a nine-day festival to celebrate the legacy of iconic singer and songwriter Juan Gabriel.
The “Juarez Juangabrielisimo” festival will run from Aug. 26 to Sept. 3 and begins with an exhibit of some of the singer’s belongings at Casa Juan Gabriel, his former home on Avenida 16 de Septiembre. Live music will play throughout the day and there will be nightly light shows throughout.
The highlight of the inaugural is a parade scheduled at 8 p.m. along 16 de Septiembre from Mercado Juarez to the Pronaf area at Avenida de las Americas, said Martha Gonzalez, municipal director of education services. The parade includes at least 28 floats and 500 participants, she said.
Other events include a walk along Juarez Avenue, where Juan Gabriel began his career, at 8 p.m. Aug. 29, and a performance by Juan Gabriel imitators at 5 p.m. Aug. 31 at the pedestrian corridor between the old Presidencia Municipal (City Hall) and the Plaza de Armas square.
The festival coincides with the seventh anniversary of the singer’s death. Juan Gabriel died on Aug. 28, 2016, of a heart ailment in Santa Monica, California.
A similar festival last year drew thousands of people from Mexico and the Southwestern United States to Juarez.