CATHEDRAL CITY (CNS) – The three-day Taste of Jalisco Festival, featuring a carnival, live music, a tequila bar and beer garden, and a headlining performance by Grupo Control, begins Friday in Cathedral City.

The festival will begin at 4 p.m. in the city’s amphitheater and festival lawn, on the northeast corner of Cathedral Canyon Drive and Avenida Lalo Guerrero, according to a statement from the festival. Friday’s festivities will be held until 10 p.m.; Saturday’s from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; and Sunday’s from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Friday will begin with a raising of flags, a proclamation reading from Cathedral City Mayor Rita Lamb, and the opening of daily indulgences — carnival, live entertainment, tequila tasting, vendor market and the newly added “Fiesta Zone,” organizers said. Outlaw Mariachi will take the stage at the festival’s venue and local musical artist Nacho Bustillos will perform and dance under the stars for an opening night celebration at the Agua Caliente Casino.

Tribute band Dreaming of You will take the stage Saturday and will be followed by a special headlining performance from Grupo Control at 7 p.m. with official host ShoBoy and a surprise guest deejay, according to organizers. The Houston-based regional Mexican group made its full-length album debut with “Cumbias Sin Control” in 1999 and has since released eight other albums with a series of hits like “Llueve Sobre Mojado,” “Viva el Amor” and “Vuele Paloma.”

Other live entertainment throughout the weekend will include tribute band Corazon de Mana on Sunday, Las Tias and folklorico dance troupes, organizers said. Sunday will also be an opportunity for car enthusiasts to view the car show’s lineup of high-end, unique and custom created vehicles in the “Fiesta Zone.”

Festival organizers said that the annual celebration honors the 26- year sister city relationship between Cathedral City and Tequila, Jalisco, in Mexico. Admission and parking for the carnival and vendor market are free, but tickets for rides, food and performances are sold separately at tasteofjalisco.com.

The first 500 Cathedral City residents who present valid identification will receive free entry to the Fiesta Zone. More information is available at tasteofjalisco.com.

Cathedral City to Host 7th Annual 3-Day Taste of Jalisco Festival