Addison After Dark’s first event of 2021, themed Fiesta Noche to celebrate Selena’s birthday, will be held in April.
Fiesta Noche will take place on April 17 from 7-11 p.m. at Addison Circle Park at 4970 Addison Circle in Addison. The event and parking are free.
For food, folks can bring a picnic or buy street tacos and sangria from Holy Frijole and The Hot Potato. America's Finest Beverage Catering will be offering beer, wine and the night’s signature drink — Wine-A-Rita.
Various performances will occur throughout the night — Mariachi de Oro at 7 p.m., dancers from the Anita N. Martinez Ballet Folklorico at 7:30 p.m., socially distanced Ballet Folklorico dance lessons and end at 9 p.m. with Bidi Bidi Banda performing Selena’s greatest hits.
The event will also feature a Mini Mercado for shopping and a Selena look-alike contest. The top three contest winners will get “valuable prizes,” including a $300 Visa gift card grand prize, according to Jasmine Lee, director of special events for the Town of Addison.
Fiesta Noche is part of Addison’s monthly festival series. The events, which have different themes each month, will continue April through November on the third Saturday of each month at 7 p.m.
Event organizers are putting COVID-19 measures in place. They recommend masks, but it's not a requirement. They are also marking socially distanced lines at food and Mercado booths, and will be offering hand sanitizer stations and regularly cleaning high-touch surfaces. Of course, they're encouraging guests to wear masks when they’re not inside their marked social circles.
On the lawn in front of the stage, they will paint circles, each with a 10-foot diameter to hold about six to eight people about 6-feet away from other circles and walkways, Lee said. While event organizers will not dictate it, they will be encouraging attendees to mingle only with those in their party.
“Each group can select their own circle and set up their chairs and blankets inside, safely distanced from other event attendees,” Lee said.
Less said that they would not be doing a health screening for attendees. But they are asking that attendees self-screen by checking Addison After Dark’s website and reviewing common COVID-19 symptoms from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
COVID-19 was the reason why they canceled The Addison After Dark 2020 event series for April, May and June, Lee pointed out.
In July, event organizers decided to turn the Addison After Dark events into the Addison Weekend Drive-In concert series to help bands that had booked spots at the events have the opportunity to perform. They held eight concerts throughout July, August and September.
“Addison is a diverse community, with cultures represented through our many restaurants and entertainment venues,” Lee said. “We strive to offer a diverse range of themes in our Addison After Dark events as well. Fiesta Noche is a celebration of Latin culture in America. It offers attendees the ability to immerse themselves in many aspects of the culture, including food, music and more."
