Mexican Culture & Petco Park

Baseball has been called “America’s National Pastime.” At Petco Park, this patriotic concept is on display in the truest sense, a vibrant mosaic of the best talent, flavor and spirit from all over the world.

Petco Park is located in the heart of San Diego, a city with a rich history of Mexican culture. San Diego is located just a 15-mile drive from the United States-Mexico border, and the region has a long history of cultural exchange and interaction between Mexican and American cultures. The vibrant, local Mexican-American community shapes the city’s culture and cuisine.

It should come as no surprise how much Mexican culture influenced the design and atmosphere radiating throughout Petco Park. An influence radiated by a Hispanic population of more than 1 million in San Diego County.

Mexican Food

The concessions at Petco Park are simmering with Mexican heritage. Hot Dogs? Sure but also Tijuana-style bacon-wrapped hot dogs. Also fish tacos, burritos, carnitas, carne asada fries, and churros.

Petco Park signature venues like Puesto, Barrio Dogg (closed), and Holy Paleta are all local but heavily Mexican-influenced, from blue corn tortillas to Marias con Leche paletas. New in 2023 is a Mexican street corn stand.

Drink

At the beer stands of old, it was a coin toss between Bud or Bud Lite. At Petco Park the choices include La Fresca Michelada and Cadillac Margaritas with Casa Noble tequila. At SAMABAZON, dragonfruit and acai margaritas are available. And Mexican Beer is prominently represented. Not so much imports but Mexican-style beer. Modelo, Pacifico, Puesto, SouthNorte, Estrella Jalisco.

Hispanic Events

The events calendar is adorned with many Mexican gems as well. Most literally, Mexican Heritage Celebration nights in June and August and Hispanic Heritage Weekend in September, which includes Fiesta In The Park. The Padres also go big for Cinco de Mayo.

New in 2026 is Lowrider Night, celebrating car culture that’s been part of Chicano communities in Southern California for generations. Custom paint jobs, hydraulics, chrome detailing—lowriders are rolling art, and the Padres are honoring that tradition with a themed night and Jeremiah Estrada bobblehead.

Petco Park has been the host venue for the annual Tequila & Tacos Festival and performances by some of the biggest names in the Hispanic music community, including Tijuana’s Grupo Firme, Bad Bunny (Puerto Rico), and bands like Los Tucanes de Tijuana.

Back to sports, Petco Park has hosted top Mexican soccer clubs including Club Tijuana Xolos, Club América, Cruz Azul, and Dorados de Sinaloa across multiple San Diego Clásico doubleheaders, as well as Mexican League Baseball between the Tijuana Toros and the Diablos Rojos del México from Mexico City.

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The Name: Padres

Perhaps we should’ve started here. But the Padres are the only MLB team with a Spanish name, a nod to the Spanish missionaries and explorers (Father Junípero Serra and Gaspar de Portolá) who founded San Diego in 1769. Though the Padres joined the pro league in 1969, the name was coined back in 1936 in the Pacific Coast League when then-owner Bill Lane moved the team south from Hollywood.

Geography

Speaking of location, Petco Park’s physical proximity is another obvious one. An easy trolley ride away. Close enough to pick up the popular Spanish radio broadcasts on XEMO, based in Tijuana, Mexico.

In another handshake across the border, the Padres share a unique distinction: they played in the first regular-season MLB game ever held in Mexico, an August 1996 series against the Mets in Monterrey, roughly 100 miles south of the Texas border. Nearly three decades later, the Padres were also part of the first MLB regular-season games ever played in Mexico City, sweeping the Giants there in 2023.

The Padres returned to Mexico City in April 2026, playing a two-game regular season series against the Diamondbacks on April 25-26 at Estadio Alfredo Harp Helú. It was the third regular-season series MLB has staged in Mexico City, continuing a decades-long relationship between the franchise and Mexican baseball fans.

Petco Park Design

The original City Connect uniforms are literally an attempt and visually depicting the interplay between California and Baja cultures. The 2026
redesign goes further than any previous version — built around Día de los Muertos,
with La Catrina on the sleeve, marigold trim, and a reveal ceremony that included
a physical ofrenda honoring franchise legends. For a team whose fanbase extends
well south of the border, it’s the most culturally specific uniform in franchise
history. Something you might hear about during regularly scheduled Spanish-speaking
tours.

Celebrated Hispanic Players: Past, Present & Future

Some of the Mexican players who’ve worn a Padres uniform include Hall of Famer Vicente Romo, Vinny Castilla, Christian Villanueva, and Adrian Gonzalez. Fernando Valenzuela — one of the most beloved figures in baseball on both sides of the border — passed away in October 2024. His legacy belongs to all of baseball, but San Diego claimed a piece of it too.

Fun Fact: Legend Ted Williams’ grandparents were born in Mexico, although he hid
his Mexican heritage as a player. How far we’ve come, how far we still have to go.

On the 2026 roster, Jeremiah Estrada carries the Mexican heritage banner on the
pitching staff, with prospects Diego Serna and Jose Verdugo working their way up
through the system.

Today, stars like Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr., representing the Dominican Republic but deeply celebrated in the Mexican community,
continue writing new chapters of Padres history. They wear their heritage openly —
which means something here.