Fiestas Patrias returns to downtown Fresno with its vibrant music, dances

The last time Marilyn Fernández officially represented the Fiestas Patrias in celebration of Mexican Independence Day, she was a pageant queen in 1999.

Saturday, the Fiestas Patrias celebrated a return of the traditional parade and other festivities – including a musical performance by Fernández – to downtown Fresno.

“It was just like the olden days back the Reloj (Clock Tower),” Fernández messaged a friend after singing some Mexican standards backed by Mariachi Alegre to kick off the entertainment.

The celebration, which began in 1941, was organized by the Comité Cívico Mexicano until 1999 when the organization’s president Rafael Flores stepped down from the three-day celebration that featured a Señorita Fiestas Patrias pageant, a downtown parade, and tons of entertainment at what was then the Fulton Mall.

With the mall being converted to a street, the parade was a few blocks long and featured mariachis, folkloric dancers and charros on horseback.

Fresno City Councilmember Miguel Arias and his children carried flags of nation’s celebrating their independence day at the same time as México. Councilmember Esmeralda Soria also carried a flag in the parade, before running back and joining fellow Democrats on the parade route.

“It’s been decades since we were able to celebrate the festivals back in downtown Fresno,” said Arias, whose district includes downtown. “This is an annual event that we are bringing back as an event sponsored by the City of Fresno and some critical partners.”

The celebration included an appearance by El Salvador General Consul Jason Manuel Castro Olivares and a group of Salvadoran folkloric dancers.

Organizers – which included the Fresno Hispanic Foundation, Arte Américas, Downtown Fresno Association, the Fresno Arts Council, Frida Café, and Los Panchos – focused on youth groups and played down any major corporate involvement.

Lupita Lomelí, longtime host of the KFTV Channel 21 morning program ‘Despierta Valle Central,’ was the ambassador for the celebration. The council declared Saturday ‘Lupita Lomelí Day.’

The first thing Lomelí mentioned on stage was the upcoming elections.

“Why am I bringing that up?” she asked. “Because electing the people that work for the babies, the kids in school, for all the young people, your grandma, your grandfather, the family, it’s so critical for our community.”

Lomelí said that elected officials “are the only ones that are going to make a difference in our community.”

Lomelí then pointed to Arias, Soria and Fresno City Council President Nelson Esparza behind her and encouraged support for them.

“They have to face a lot of challenges in order to defend the human beings in general, and especially our community,” said Lomelí. “I admire them very much because they’re not afraid of the challenges.”

Esparza said celebrating “the independence of our homeland is, to me, a sweet justice that was once never imagined because of the hostilities that our people faced here.”

He pointed to “similar hostilities” in other states, but noted that Fresno has been welcoming.

“Our city, our ancestors and our generation are making strides, great strides, to level the playing field,” said Esparza. “Whether you were born in this country, in México, in Guatemala, in El Salvador or anywhere for that matter, you have our community and a people behind you here in Fresno.”

Soria, who is running for the state Assembly, said she was happy to see the return of the Fiestas Patria to downtown “bigger and better than ever.”. She spoke in Spanish.

“I’m a proud daughter of migrant parents,” said Soria, who grew up in Lindsay. “This is a crucial piece of identity for Latinos here in this Valley, who contribute every day. All your effort and work for the agricultural economy, not only in the valley, but in the state.”

Soria said farmworkers deserve respect every day for their valuable contributions.

“We have to keep fighting so that all of you have the respect and dignity you deserve, with better wages, job security and protections, access to health care and opportunities for all your children in education,” said Soria.