Angelica Ortiz looks forward to celebrating her roots every year at Aurora’s Fiestas Patrias, which celebrates the city’s Hispanic heritage.
“I have come every year since I found out about this and I like that this is geared toward our heritage. The music, the food, everything is good,” Ortiz, who lives in Lombard, said on Saturday. “There are some groups here tonight I’m very excited to see.”
Aurora’s 12th annual Fiestas Patrias was held Saturday and Sunday at RiverEdge Park in downtown Aurora and was organized by the city of Aurora in partnership with RiverEdge Park and the Aurora Hispanic Heritage Advisory Board.
Proceeds from the event that included live music, food, arts and crafts and more will help support the Aurora Hispanic Heritage Scholarship Fund.
The event included plenty of music, with TikTok sensation Janeth Valenzuela, regional Mexican icon Jose Manuel Figueroa and Aurora’s own Grammy Award-winning Alacranes Musical among the acts scheduled to perform.
Jim Jarvis, general manager for RiverEdge Park, said he looks forward to the annual end-of-the-summer event and was excited about the lineup of artists that many might not be able to see at another venue.
“Last year, we sold out both days – 14,000 in two days – and we expect that again,” he said before this year’s festival.
Tony Martinez, chief communications and marketing officer for the city, said this was the third year that “the city has taken ownership of the fest” and that “this is an end-of-the-year celebration where we can really pack the park.”
“It’s really a testament to the community – especially the Latino community – and coming together to raise money for scholarships,” he said.
Jarvis said that more than 45% of Aurora’s population is Latino and “it’s great to be able to put on an event like this.”
“I’m not Latino but I remember last year people coming to me and thanking me for putting this on and being able to celebrate their heritage and pride and all the other things that go with it,” he said. “We raised almost $200,000 last year from this event for scholarships.”
Saturday’s sunny but cool temperatures seemed to be just what the growing crowd before 5 p.m. wanted as many visited food booths and vendors, while others like Delia Gonzalez of Aurora and her husband Gabriel Martinez got food and chose an early spot before the first musical performance.
“I’ve been here before – three times – and I like being outdoors, and it’s very organized and I feel secure,” Gonzalez said. “I really like what I see and who is going to be playing. The food is very good and the prices are good, and to me it’s very authentic.”
Martinez said he also enjoys live music and that he might do a little shopping later. He said he and his wife arrived early “because we wanted to get parking and also eat because later, it’s going to be very crowded.”
Maria Abez of Aurora was also looking forward to the music at the fest on Saturday.
“We are planning to come both days, tonight and tomorrow,” she said. “I think this is a great way to celebrate our culture and heritage.”
Elena Rivera of Montgomery said she has come to the festival “at least five or six years” and enjoys “the tradition and seeing everyone together.”
“I like the lineup of bands but my favorite band was one they had last year,” Rivera said. “We already checked out the food. We ate tacos and had horchata to drink. We’re meeting some friends later and I’m wearing my celebration outfit.”
He husband, Rubin Cervantes, said he and his wife “come every year we can.”
“We enjoy the music and the tradition – our Mexican tradition,” he said.
David Sharos is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
