13th annual Davis César Chávez Celebration

The 13th annual Davis César Chávez Celebration will be held on 

Saturday, March 30 at 11:00 a.m. in Central Park, weather permitting, during the Davis 

Farmers Market. The free event is sponsored by the City of Davis Human Relations 

Commission. Community members, especially children and families, are invited to 

attend. 

The City of Davis is pleased to present as Keynote Speaker Mr. Francisco J. Dominguez, 

a Sacramento-based documentary photographer, multi-media artist and historian. Mr.

Dominguez has documented the plight of immigrants, homeless and farmworkers in the 

United States for the past 20 years, focusing on the lives of those who have been directly 

affected by US economic trade policies. He uses his work to bring attention to the 

injustices on the Mexico/US border.

The Chavez event will also feature live music, singing and dancing. Davis is once again 

fortunate to have its own Cesar Chavez Elementary Choir, which will perform several 

songs in both English and Spanish. The choir is under the direction of Ximena Jackson 

and has delighted the audience in years past. A new addition to the festivities this year 

will be Mariachi Puente, a mariachi group comprised of Davis junior high and high 

school students. 

The event commemorates the anniversary of César Chávez’s birthday. Chavez spoke at 

rallies in Davis’ Central Park during the tomato growers’ strikes in the 1970’s. One 

Chavez rally in Davis on August 11, 1974 was reported to have drawn over 2,000 

attendees.

The Chavez Celebration will be the focal point of the festivities held in Central Park 

which features one of California’s oldest continuous farmers markets. The Davis Farmers 

Market attracts thousands of visitors every Wednesday and Saturday and has been in 

operation since 1974. It was the first market in California to offer organic produce.