La Paz has revived its Serenatas del Bermejo program, a free monthly concert series held on the last Sunday of each month at Jardín Velasco in the city’s historic center. Juan Lara Guzmán, the municipal director of culture, announced the return of the series, which had gone dormant in previous months. The first edition back featured the musical group Komuando, which drew families and passersby to the landmark plaza for an afternoon of live music and dancing.
Jardín Velasco: 110 Years as La Paz’s Public Square
Jardín Velasco sits at the intersection of Calle Madero and Calle 5 de Mayo, one block inland from the malecón. The plaza dates to the early 1900s, when it was built as a formal public garden surrounding a Victorian-era kiosk that still anchors its center. Named after General Luis Donaldo Colosio Velasco, the square has served for over a century as La Paz’s primary civic gathering space, hosting political rallies, holiday celebrations, and cultural performances.
The kiosk, an octagonal iron-and-wood bandstand with a domed roof, was a common feature of Mexican town squares in the Porfirian era. La Paz’s version remains one of the best-preserved examples in Baja California Sur. On any given evening, the surrounding benches fill with locals eating marquesitas and elote from street vendors who set up along the perimeter.
The Serenatas del Bermejo program takes its name from the Sea of Cortez, also known as the Bermejo (“vermillion”) Sea, a historical Spanish name for the body of water that defines La Paz’s geography and identity. The concert series is not new. La Paz has hosted variations of free Sunday music in Jardín Velasco for years, though the programming has been inconsistent, with gaps during the pandemic years and periodic lapses in municipal funding.
Mayor Quiroga Romero’s Public Space Agenda in La Paz
The revival fits into a broader municipal effort under Mayor Milena Quiroga Romero, who took office in September 2021 as La Paz’s first female mayor. Quiroga Romero, a member of the Morena party, has made public space activation a recurring theme in her administration’s cultural policy. Lara Guzmán described the series as part of an effort to “promote healthy family coexistence” in public spaces through arts programming.
La Paz’s municipal government has invested in several parallel cultural initiatives over the past two years. The city expanded its Carnaval de La Paz in February 2024, and the malecón has hosted rotating art installations and weekend markets. The Dirección Municipal de Cultura also runs workshops, theater performances, and exhibition programming at venues across the city, though Jardín Velasco remains the most accessible and central location.
The city’s historic center has undergone gradual commercial changes as more restaurants, boutique hotels, and galleries have opened along Calle Madero, Calle Constitución, and the surrounding blocks. Monthly programming at Jardín Velasco adds a predictable cultural anchor to an area that already draws foot traffic on weekends.
Practical Details for Attending Serenatas del Bermejo
The concerts take place on the last Sunday of each month at Jardín Velasco. The plaza is located at Calle Madero between Calle 5 de Mayo and Calle Revolución de 1910, roughly 150 meters from the malecón waterfront. Admission is free, with no tickets or reservations required.
The inaugural event with Komuando took place on a Sunday afternoon, and future editions are expected to follow a similar daytime schedule. Seating is informal: stone benches ring the kiosk, and attendees often bring folding chairs or stand along the perimeter. Street food vendors typically set up around the plaza during events.
Parking in the historic center is limited, particularly on weekends. The closest pay lot is on Calle 16 de Septiembre, two blocks south. For those staying along the malecón or in the centro, the plaza is a 5- to 15-minute walk from most hotels and rental properties in the area.
The April lineup had not been announced at the time of the program’s relaunch. Lara Guzmán directed residents to follow the Dirección Municipal de Cultura’s official social media pages for scheduling updates and artist announcements. The next Serenatas del Bermejo performance falls on Sunday, April 27. This story was first reported by BCS Noticias.