TJ in the Groove brings three days of urban dance to Tijuana, with free battles at Arena Zonkeys on Sunday

TJ in the Groove, Tijuana’s international urban dance festival, holds its 12th edition from Friday, Oct. 16, to Sunday, Oct. 18, bringing together dancers, crews, artists and teachers from Mexico and the United States, Diario Tijuana and El Portavoz reported.

The weekend opens Friday with a welcome party at 93 Beer Tap. Saturday is for workshops in popping, hip hop, house and whacking with national and international guests. The main event is Sunday at Arena Zonkeys, with one-on-one popping, two-on-two open styles and one-on-one house battles, plus showcases by crews from the region and San Diego. Sunday is free: organizers said keeping the main event free is a way to bring urban dance to children, teenagers and adults. The Tijuana listings for the state’s Festival de Octubre, as compiled by Tijuana Eventos, put the Sunday session at 1 p.m.

The festival began in 2014 as part of the anniversary of Six Six Four, a Tijuana hip-hop company that turns 14 this year. General director Magdalena Zarahí Pérez Miranda said it started as a one-day event and now runs three days. Enrique Rangel Rodríguez, binational liaison manager at the Tijuana Tourism and Convention Committee (Cotuco), said people come from the United States for the event, usually with company, which helps the city’s tourism.

Plan your weekend

• Sunday’s battles: Arena Zonkeys, free, from 1 p.m. according to the festival listing.
• The coverage didn’t include times or prices for Friday’s party or Saturday’s workshops, so check the festival’s social media before you go.
• Also Sunday: the Sinfónica Juvenil de Tijuana’s Star Wars autumn concert at CECUT.

More of the weekend is on our calendar.