It's sunny, warm, a most perfect time to hold a friendly charreada. People smile while staring or strolling around the site. It's changed a bit, some say, but who can forget those glorious days when charreadas, fiestones or private celebrations were the rule?

"It was here where many charros learned how to be charros," says "El Güero" Lupe Díaz, a charro who's been with Hacienda Valle del Sunol for years now. "They can say whatever they want, but if it were not for this place, I doubt they'd be charros today."

For Mr. Marcos Franco, one of the lienzo charro owners, having a friendly charreada once in awhile with live music played by a ranchera band means keeping alive the tradition, though in a smaller scale.

"Years back we had so many charro teams competing in the lienzo," remembers the vice president of the Federación Mexicana de Charrería in the States. "But now we use it mainly for friendly gathering of charros."

Like today's, which is in honor of every charro father. Atop their horses or on foot, reata in hand or eating a spicy taco, there are charros from Los Román, Hacienda Valle del Sunol, El Pedregal & Hacienda El Zapote. The smell of roasted jalapeños and meat al pastor fill the air.

Outside the lienzo & ruedo, a man who sells charro gear recalls having dressed many charros and their charritos over the years.

"Charros come to me & say: 'You sold me my first pair of charro pants, remember?'" he shares. "And that means a lot to me because I feel that I've contributed, in some way, to keep the Charrería alive."

Hours later, charros and invited guests gather around the ranchero band to listen to some very good oldies, such as El Muchacho Alegre or Por una Mujer Casada.

They all sing along, clearly filled with alegría joy. Each is asked to request a song, but when it's my turn I'm told the band can't play yet El Sinaloense. That pisses me off (just a bit.) If it's not El Sinaloense, then it's nothing. So, I just listen to the next request, which I think it's El Chubasco or something like that. Heck, at this stage & hour, it's all good.

Happy Father's Day to all charros. ¡Arriba la Charrería!