Indigenous “Voladores” highlights Juarez Fair along with free, A-list concerts, food and rides: “People, Places & Paul” in Mexico

CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico (KVIA) -- Whether it be taking in the free concerts right across the border from El Paso, Texas .. to playing the fun games .. to eating authentic Mexican food -including tacos, fruits and CRICKETS (yes, authentic "chapulines" straight from Oaxaca)... there's lots do do at the "Feria Juarez 2024".

Over 100,000 people from Ciudad Juarez, El Paso and beyond attended the first weekend of this year's Fair right across the Rio Grande. In another edition of "People, Places & Paul", KVIA ABC-7 anchor Paul Cicala goes in-depth at the Juarez fair.

Not only does he talk to members of the Totonaca tribe of Veracruz, Mexico as they "fly high" in their indigenous "Voladores de Papantla" tradition and share their culture with other fair-goers from Juarez & El Paso, Paul Cicala also asks famous Mexican band "Conjunto Primavera" what they think of this borderland tradition -and- the people of El Paso, who also enjoy the fair alongside fellow fronterizos, or borderlanders, from the sister city of Ciudad Juarez. You can also see Cicala eating "chapulines" or "grasshoppers" from the fair here.

If you plan to go, the general cost is 70 Mexican pesos, or less than $4.

"The Juárez Fair is the biggest party in the city, the coolest party that can be here across Ciudad Juárez and the border," said Bryan Briones, director of the fair.

This year, the fair will be at the Red "X" (Plaza de Mexicanidad) from June 7th until June 30th and will be open from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m.

It will also feature some of the best current Mexican artists, bands, musical groups, and performers.

Some of the performers who took the stage the first weekend include Banda MS, Fuerza Regida and Conjunto Primavera.

Other A-list groups that'll perform throughout the month of March include Bronco, Molotov, Luis Cornidez, El Tri, and many more.

If you would like to see this year's lineup you can click here.

Segments of People, Places & Paul air periodically on ABC-7 and show all the positives we have going on in our borderland (including El Paso, Ciudad Juarez & Las Cruces).