Camarillo's Rebozo Festival to show off colorful Mexican shawls

Brian J. Varela
Ventura County Star
Guests at the 2022 Rebozo Festival walk in their traditional Mexican shawls. This year's festival is Sunday at noon at the Camarillo Ranch House.

Hundreds of brightly colored Mexican shawls will swarm the Camarillo Ranch House for the 19th annual Rebozo Festival on Sunday. 

The event is a chance for local Latinas to honor their ancestors by wearing traditional Mexican dresses donned with shawls called rebozos. About 700 people are expected.

“The event is very fiesta style, colorful and a lot of fun,” said Yolando Plascencia, a founding member of the nonprofit.

The shawls were versatile garments used by Mexican women to carry babies and take lunch to their husbands, who were often working in fields, she said.

During the festival, guests can participate in a silent auction, enjoy a catered brunch or dance along to mariachi music. 

The nonprofit will also give away about $20,000 to two local organizations. 

Oxnard’s ÁNIMO Theatre Company will receive about $15,000. The company performed  "El Bracero – A Mariachi Opera" in September. The play depicted the life and struggles of Mexican laborers in the federal work program of the same name. 

Organizers will give $5,000 to Parents Against Santa Susana Field Lab. The organization advocates for the remediation of laboratory site to prevent the possible spread of contaminants. 

Sunday’s event begins at noon and ends at 5 p.m. at the ranch house at 201 Camarillo Ranch Road. To learn more about the festival or purchase a ticket visit rebozofestival.org.

Brian J. Varela covers Oxnard, Port Hueneme and Camarillo. He can be reached at brian.varela@vcstar.com or 805-477-8014. You can also find him on Twitter @BrianVarela805.