El Teatro Campesino held its annual Family Fun Day celebration in San Juan Bautista on April 23, an afternoon of music, dance, games and theater. The event is a major fundraiser for a series of free art and educational programs that the theater company provides, primarily in San Benito County.
co-organizer Christy Sandoval said that the $7,500 raised at the event would be combined with funds raised in an online campaign that will go toward not just educational outreach but art workshops and storytelling circles.
“It is our first time being able to do this since 2019,” said Sandoval. “It is a beautiful day, and all of the kids and their families enjoying the day brings a great atmosphere and a lot of good energy.”
Entertainment was provided by youth dance groups Estrellas De Esperanza, Alianza Dance Group, and Ballet Folklorico Ollin, along with musical performances by Flaco El Jandro, Gabriel Perales, and Clarinason. The event’s finale was a performance by the Teatro Camp Youth, which performed a short environmental-themed play.
“I am here to support their school art programs,” said Flaco El Jandro, a veteran Teatro performer also known as Alejandro Gomez. “I think El Teatro Campesino is a landmark, and Chicano identity was born out of their spirit. So it’s really important to help them maintain those traditions by them going out and teaching our history.”
El Teatro’s impact on this community could be appreciated in the number of visitors who seemed to know each other. Many of them had taken part in Teatro productions in the past.
Jona St. John, who performed in the annual Teatro Christmas pageants in her youth, watched as two of her children won goldfish at one of the arcade games.
“I got introduced to El Teatro in high school,” she said “It was an avenue and outlet for me then, and today I got to see my goddaughter perform for the first time. It’s a chance to bring my family and tap into some of my memories, to introduce them to the theater and what our hometown is all about.”
Co-organizer Cristal González Ávila said that the event is an important way for El Teatro to show its gratitude for the support of the community—and for the community, in turn, to be able to contribute to the ongoing free educational programs it provides.
“It’s very exciting to see our space full again!” she said. “People started coming half an hour before it was supposed to start, and it’s overflowing. Everyone is enjoying themselves, but this celebration is also an opportunity for people to invest back in the arts and have a direct impact on what we do.”
Sandoval said the goal is to keep the programs free.
“We want to limit any barriers to access because the arts are important and vital,” she said. “There are not a lot of places that have that kind of access, so we hope the community supports one another and keeps those programs free.”
As he watched the Teatro Camp Youth performing on a makeshift stage outside, Teatro founder Luis Valdez said that families have always been key to the company’s success and that bringing theater to young people is an important responsibility.
“When the children are performing here, maybe they don’t know it, but they are now part of Teatro Campesino,” he said. “They are the future. If you can capture the little kids like that, and they get the joy of performing outside when the wind is blowing and their parents are here, then we have a future. That is the essence of El Teatro, as humble as it is. It’s beautiful. It’s all pure human gold.”
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