Lincoln Public Schools Mariachi Ensemble Performs Day of the Dead

Los Mariachis de la Ciudad Estrella, the district's mariachi band, performs traditional songs at an annual Day of the Dead event.

Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Secondary Education

Lincoln Public Schools Mariachi Ensemble Performs Day of the Dead

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Los Mariachis de la Ciudad Estrella, Lincoln Public Schools' mariachi ensemble, performs traditional songs at a Day of the Dead event each year. The ensemble is the first public school-sanctioned mariachi program in Nebraska.

Why it matters

The program offers seventh through 12th grade students free access to traditional Mexican music, and about half of its members are not of Mexican descent. It gives Lincoln students a cultural performance opportunity that is uncommon among public school music programs in the state.

The ensemble includes students from four middle schools and five high schools and meets once a week at Lincoln High School. Its traditional suits are loaned to students, and the program is sustained by donations and funding, though total enrollment and budget figures were not provided.

The players

Lincoln Public Schools

Lincoln Public Schools is the public school district serving Lincoln, Nebraska, which sponsors the Los Mariachis de la Ciudad Estrella ensemble.

Omaha Public Schools

Omaha Public Schools is the public school district serving Omaha, Nebraska, which created its own mariachi band in 2024.

The details

The program began in the 2018-2019 school year after a suggestion from the district's leadership, and it is offered to seventh through 12th grade students at no cost. Students borrow traditional mariachi suits for performances, and organizers hope to expand the program into individualized offerings across middle and high schools in the district.

2018: The district's leadership suggested starting a mariachi ensemble at Lincoln Public Schools.
2018-2019 school year: The mariachi ensemble began.
2024: Omaha Public Schools created its own mariachi band.

Season Trajectory

Lincoln's Los Mariachis de la Ciudad Estrella began in 2018 and is recognized as the first public school-sanctioned mariachi ensemble in Nebraska, preceding Omaha Public Schools' 2024 band. Together, the two programs mark an emerging pattern of mariachi music entering Nebraska's public school music offerings.

Lincoln students in seventh through 12th grade can join the ensemble at no cost, borrowing traditional suits for performances. Families interested in participating can look to the program's weekly meetings at Lincoln High School.

The takeaway

Community-supported programs can open cultural traditions to students regardless of background, as the Lincoln ensemble's mix of participants shows. Students interested in music can consider whether a school ensemble offers the same kind of community connection.