Rubi Ibarra Garcia Holds Largest Quinceñeara in History

Rubi Ibarra Garcia: Thousands Attend Girl’s Party After Invitation Goes Viral

by Holly • January 1, 2017

Rubi Ibarra Garcia is just a normal 15-year-old girl from a Mexican village in La Joya. But recently, she recently made history by holding the biggest quinceañera in the whole world. Thousands of people from Mexico and the United States flocked over to Rubi’s party on December 26, which ended in tragedy for one particular guest. The story all began when her father, Cresencio, posted a video of him inviting “everyone” to the party. By the looks of it, the family got more than what they bargained for.

Rubi Ibarra Garcia Makes History with Quinceañera Party

Cresencio uploaded a video online, announcing his daughter Rubi Ibarra Garcia’s upcoming quinceañera party. The footage showed him standing next to Rubi and saying that “everyone is welcome” and that the party would feature three local bands, a full-course meal, and even a horse race. He then went on to announce that the winner of the horse race will get to win 10,000 Mexican pesos, equivalent to around $490. In Mexico, it is not unusual for families to invite a number of neighbors and friends. But the Ibarra family did not expect thousands of strangers to show up on Rubi’s special day. Cresencio Ibarra

Turned out, Cresencio had accidentally set his post “Public” instead of “Friends Only,” allowing millions of social media users to have access to the announcement. The hashtag #XVdeRuby got millions of shares online, with television stations and other news outlets even trying to get hold of the family for an interview. The news of Rubi’s quinceañera even got the attention of celebrities. Actor Gael Garcia Bernal parodied the viral invitation, while Mexican airline Interjet offered a 30 percent discount for guests who were traveling to La Joya to attend the party.

Tragedy Strikes Rubi Garcia Ibarra’s Party

The big day was filled with thousands of guests arriving, with the number swelling up to thousands by noontime. Rubi was dressed in a pink dress and a tiara for her big day. But the young girl had difficulty navigating around as she needed to be escorted by an army just so she could attend the open-air mass. The family struggled to calm the rowdy crowd down. At one point, Cresencio threatened that he would end the party if the reporters would not let his daughter pass. Unfortunately, tragedy struck the happy event as a man named Felix Pena died during the horse race. He was not related to the family at all but joined the event in hopes of returning home victorious. XVRuby, Rubi Ibarra Garcia

Bystanders were able to take a video of Pena rolling in the dust, then later lying unconscious on the ground. There is no word as to why Pena had stepped in the tracks, but it was confirmed that he died on the way to the hospital. Thankfully, there were no other serious injuries reported on that day. Overall, approximately 30,000 guests attended Rubi Ibarra Garcia’s party that day. Although there were setbacks, Rubi and her family have managed to hold the biggest quinceñeara in history.