Celebrating Culture

Casa de la Cultura celebrates tradition with Posada, Tamalada, and Cultural Performances

By Texas Times Staff
DEL RIO, TX — Casa de la Cultura was filled with music, tradition, and community spirit this past weekend as residents gathered for a festive posada and tamalada, celebrating one of the most cherished cultural traditions of the holiday season.
Casa de la Cultura Director Lupita La Paz said the event drew an impressive turnout from start to finish, with families participating in both the traditional and celebratory aspects of the evening.
“We had a really great turnout from the very beginning,” La Paz said. “We started with the traditional pedida de posada, visiting our neighboring homes. As tradition goes, we’re denied entry until the final stop, when Casa de la Cultura opens its doors. That’s what officially kicks off the event.”
Once the posada concluded, the celebration continued with the arrival of Matachines, followed by music, dancing, and food. La Paz noted that many attendees remained throughout the entire event, helping with cleanup afterward an example, she said, of the strong sense of community that defines Casa de la Cultura.
One of the highlights of the evening was the tamalada, made possible by volunteers who spent the previous day preparing masa, tamales, and gathering donated gifts.
“Our volunteers and helpers are incredible,” La Paz said. “From preparing the tamales to organizing the gifts and helping throughout the event, we couldn’t do this without them.”
Live music was provided by La Calle Cuatro, which kept the crowd dancing after the tamalada.
“They were awesome,” La Paz said. “It was perfect timing everyone had just eaten, so they could dance off the tamales. They played a full 90-minute set without even taking a break, and it was fantastic.”
Cultural performances were also a major highlight, including Ballet Folklórico and the Matachines, both staples of Mexican heritage. La Paz emphasized the importance of giving performers ample time to showcase their work.
“We had both our children’s group and our adult group perform,” she said. “This was their final performance of the year, so we made sure they had enough time to highlight all the states and the different dresses they’ve been working on all year.”
The Ballet Folklórico performance lasted nearly an hour and featured dances representing regions from Aguascalientes to Veracruz, taking the audience on a vibrant cultural journey. The groups will now take a short break before resuming rehearsals in late February to begin learning new dances.
La Paz said preserving tradition and culture remains central to Casa de la Cultura’s mission, especially in today’s fast-paced world.
“These traditions can fade away, but not here in Del Rio,” she said. “Casa de la Cultura exists to keep our culture alive in the community.”
La Paz concluded by thanking everyone who attended and encouraging residents to participate in future events.
“If you haven’t been to a posada or any of our events or activities, I definitely invite you to be part of it,” she said. “Casa de la Cultura is an experience. It’s something you truly have to experience for yourself.”
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