Mexican food, music and dance will fill the Phoenix Plaza this weekend for the 32nd annual Mexican Festival. About 8,000 people are expected to attend the festival throughout the weekend, said Kristina Hawkins, president of the Auburn Hills-based Mexican Mutual Society, which sponsored the festival.

Pontiac Mayor Clarence Phillips said everyone in the city and surrounding area needs to come check out “part of the rainbow of Pontiac.”

Prior to the opening flag-raising ceremony Friday, Phillips and State Rep. John Espinoza caught up on old times. Phillips served with Espinoza, whose district includes Port Huron, during his time as a state representative.

“I think that the Mexican-Americans in my community are a very important part of the population,” Phillips said. “I think that this is a nice panorama of Mexican-American culture; I think people will really enjoy the food, the entertainment, the ambiance.”

A first-time attendee and keynote speaker at the opening ceremony, Espinoza said making to the festival was long overdue for him. “My entire family has been going for years, but it has been on my to-do list and it wasn’t until I got an invitation from my former colleague that I came,” Espinoza said, adding events like Mexican Festival are like a “mini family reunion.”

“It also opens up that history to the rest of the community who might come here and see a Mexican polka and say, ÔHey that sounds an awful lot like a German polka,’ ” he said.

Oscar Morales, a fifth-time vendor at the event, said he travels to Mexican-American community events throughout Michigan and Ohio selling specialty items, such as T-shirts with the colorful images of Our Lady of Guadalupe and slain pop culture phenomenon Tejano singer Selena.

“I sell Mexican DVDs, CDs, too,” said the Bay City resident.

Ayala Alberto, a Mexico native but now an Auburn Hills resident, said he loves coming to the festival, because “we can bring the things we have in Mexico.”

The food vendor said he will be selling boiled corn served with mayonnaise and cheese, a Mexican tradition, and sliced fruit native to the country such as Mangoes and pineapples.

And Mexican food, Phillips said, is something he can’t keep his hands off, literally.

“I like refried beans and rice. I like tacos. I like tamales,” he said.

Beyond the food and specialty buys, Hawkins said there will also be a healthy dose of Tejano and Reggaeton music throughout the weekend.