If you’ve been coming to Rocky Point for a while, you know June usually means one thing: Circus Mexicus. The annual Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers pilgrimage. The town comes alive. The charity events…The sunburned strangers who somehow feel like family by Sunday morning.

Well, plot twist. This year, Circus Mexicus is coming a week early.

Mark it down: May 28–31, 2026. Same town, same Sea of Cortez, same beautiful chaos – just a week sooner. And if you’ve never made the trip, this might be the year to fix that.

Here’s why 2026 is different:

Roger Clyne and crew are using this year’s festival to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of The Refreshments’ Fizzy, Fuzzy, Big & Buzzy – the album that put a whole generation of Tempe musicians on the map. To mark it, they’re bringing back what feels like every band that ever played Mill Avenue in the ’90s: The Refreshments, Dead Hot Workshop, The Sidewinders, Zubia Sings, Pistoleros, Azz Izz Band, and more. Add in regulars like The Black Moods, Gold’n Delicious, Shurman, The Jons, Stephen Ashbrook, Sliced Limes, Natalie Merrill and the Project, and a long list of others – 25+ bands across four days, scattered across rooftops, cantinas, beach stages, and back alleys all over town.

For the uninitiated, here’s what Circus Mexicus actually feels like:

It’s not a commercial festival. There’s no giant corporate stage with security barricades a hundred yards back. It’s a town-wide takeover – acoustic sets at JJ’s Cantina in Cholla Bay, afternoon sing-alongs at Leo’s, Breakfast set at Xochitl’s, surprise pop-ups at venues you wouldn’t expect Manny’s and Tekila Fest (formerly Chango’s).

The main concert anchors the weekend, but the magic is in the in-between: Shake, Raffle and Roll. Raffle tickets can be purchased at Will Call for signed memorabilia, RCPM experiences, and inspired artwork, all supporting Puerto Peñasco-based charities. And don’t forget the caravan of donated goods that rolls out to Esperanza Para Los Niños. It’s music with a conscience, and a really good tan.

A few things to know if you’re going:

Book your room yesterday. Loyal Peacemaker fans caravan down from all over the U.S. and Canada, and rooms vanish fast.

Bring Mexican auto insurance. Your U.S. policy doesn’t cross the border. A weekend policy covering liability, vandalism, and med-evac is cheap and non-negotiable.

Pace yourself. Four days is a marathon. The veterans will tell you: hydrate, sunscreen twice, and don’t try to catch every single band. Pick a few must-sees and let the rest happen.

Tickets and the full schedule drop at circusmexicus.net. Bookmark it.

Now, before May 28 rolls around, there’s another date worth circling — and this one’s for Mom.

May 10 is Día de las Madres, Mexican Mother’s Day. Here in Mexico, it’s celebrated on the same date every single year, no matter what day of the week it lands on. And here’s the lovely coincidence: in 2026, May 10 happens to fall on a Sunday – meaning Mexican Mother’s Day and American Mother’s Day land on the exact same day. One holiday, two traditions, one weekend at the beach.

If you’ve never experienced Día de las Madres in Mexico, it’s a whole thing. Families gather. Mariachis show up at sunrise to serenade mom with Las Mañanitas. Restaurants are packed all day (so reserve early – I’m not kidding). It’s louder, longer, and more openly emotional than the brunch-and-flowers version most of us grew up with up north.

So, here’s the pitch: bring your mom. Or be a mom getting brought. Or just be somewhere beautiful on Mother’s Day weekend – sea air does wonders. Then come back two weeks later for the music.

May in Rocky Point used to be a quiet shoulder month. Not anymore. Between Mother’s Day, Memorial Day weekend, and now Circus Mexicus capping off the month, this could be the loudest, fullest, most fun May our little beach town has ever had.

I’ll see you on the sand. Probably with sunscreen on my nose and a Peacemakers song stuck in my head.

P.S. If you wanna get in the mood, Roger Clyne and The Peacemakers have released a new album, “Hell to Breakfast” (you have to love that title). It is climbing up the Americana Radio charts, and the album (at the time of writing this in April) is currently #32, while the single called “Agua Caliente” is at #28. It is out on all streaming services.

Album cover: painted by Bob Boze Bell

Photo credits: Ruston Clyne