Dateland Park Sat, Nov 10th–11:00-9:00 PM
By Esther Sanchez
Fun for all ages, Synergy Fest is a free, annual event full of live music, art, food, vendors, an amazing car show and so much more I would need an entire page to list everything there is to experience. Headliners, Ocho Ojos are just one of nearly 20 acts rocking 2 stages at an event that nobody should miss. Since 2011, the fantastic folks who make up the grass-roots, NPO, “Culturas Music and Arts,” have spent countless hours putting together incredible community outreaches, concerts and festivals of all sorts with the goal of bringing the community together to celebrate diversity in all forms.
The brainchild of founders, Yaya Ortiz and Rueben Gonzales, (proprietors of the spectacular venue, “Rueben’s Ranch”) Culturas Music and Arts mission statement is, “To provide a space where self-expression, creativity and diversity can be appreciated. Culturas invites the entire Coachella Valley to come and share their stories, talents, and aspirations to a community that has been stigmatized and where art and music resources are limited. Through cultural understanding and artistic awareness we hope to share a safe, healthy and educational environment that promotes culture and the arts.”
I spoke with Culturas’ PR Rep, Mercedes Fernandez about this years’ event and the growth she has witnessed over the years she has been a part of such an outstanding organization; one that has become an integral part of the East Valley and beyond.
Fernandez: “Through this foundation, we have created a platform for all genres of music from Hip-hop to reggae to rock and beyond. This brings the diversity we strive for. Many people might assume that it’s just a Latino oriented situation but we really bring in as much variation as possible for all races and ages to come and enjoy. Every year it grows and grows which is really beautiful.”
CVW: You mentioned that Synergy Fest is a lot more than just a big concert. What else can attendees look forward to?
Fernandez: “The festival itself is held at Dateland Park which has a great skateboard facility that will be open. There will be activities for kids such as arts and crafts and free book giveaways. Those booths are sponsored and have been provided by the California Endowment, Cabot’s Museum and Clinica de Salud. One of the biggest parts of the day is the car show. This year we have a new chapter that has joined us that we are really excited about and it should be really impressive. The best part is that our foundation is donating all proceeds earned from the car show entrance fees to local families in need of help in situations of crisis such as inability to pay for the funeral and burial expenses of a loved one.”
CVW: You mentioned the sponsors for the children’s activities. Are there any other sponsors you would like to mention?
Fernandez: “We are also being sponsored by the City of Coachella, Assemblyman Eduardo Garcia, Ernie Ball, Forest Lawn and Spotlight 29 Casino.”
CVW: What are your goals for Synergy Fest and Culturas Music and Arts in the coming years?
Fernandez: “Our goal is to keep growing and diversifying every year. We can see Synergy Fest eventually becoming something huge! We want to unite the community all over the Coachella Valley and invite everyone to take part in what we are doing. The City of Coachella itself has unique and rich history that we want everyone to be able to share.”
If you are interested in entering a vehicle in the car show you can register at www.culturasmusicartscoachella.com. For more info call 769-275-7958.
All proceeds benefit the community.
https://www.facebook.com/pg/culturasmusicarts
Twitter @culturasarts Instagram @culturasmusicarts
