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First Night Monterey
Mexican folk dance
The mission of First Night Monterey, Inc. is to bring families together and unite their community in all its diversity through the visual and performing arts. First Night Monterey is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization and a member of First Night International. Programs are designed to appeal to people of all ages and backgrounds and to broaden and deepen public appreciation of the arts. First Night Monterey conducts year-round community outreach and arts education workshops that culminate at the landmark New Year’s Eve celebration.
First Night Monterey received grants from ACTA’s Livng Cultures Grants Program in 2008 and 2011 for the presentation of free Mexican folkloric dance at Cesar Chavez Elementary in Salinas, taught by members of the community-based folklorico group Tonatiuh. These after-school workshops taught approximately 70 children in K-6th grades the traditional dances of Mexico, as well as the related history and cultural context. Students performed the dances at events such as First Night Monterey’s New Year’s Eve celebration and other community events in the area.