Look! This traditional parade, celebration returns after 23 years

During their childhood, now-Fresno City Councilmembers Miguel Arias and Luis Chávez would join thousands of celebrants who flocked downtown for the Fiestas Patrias festivities that included a parade and entertainment on closed-off streets.

“We all grew up in Fresno going to the Fulton Mall,” said Arias, whose district includes the downtown area.

The celebration of Mexican Independence Day was organized by the Comité Cívico Mexicano, which was headed by the late Rafael Flores until 1999. Since then, celebrations have focused mostly on entertainment with corporate funders.

There has been no parade since 1999.

That parade route ends this year. Arias has worked with various non-profit organizations to resurrect the Fiestas Patrias and the parade on Sept. 17 downtown.

“The parade is the heart of the whole event,” said Arias, who wants the Fresno celebration to replicate similar festivities in México.

Arias also wants Mexican and Latino culture to take center stage, along with giving smaller vendors a chance to earn some money.

In addition to the parade, the festivities will include a scaled-down version of what Arias had hoped to be streets blanketed by papel picado that is common in Mexican celebrations. It turns out that the light posts can’t handle any additional weight.

“That is an engineering nightmare,” said Arias. “We have to install additional steel poles across the whole street to be able to manage the weight of everything decorative.”

The paper decoration will be limited to the Clock Tower area.

The main draw, however, will be the parade. Charros will be among the parade participants.

“Mexican culture is the parade down the middle of the street of a small town,” said Arias. “I haven’t seen it done here like what we see when we go home (to México) and visit.”

The entertainment, according to organizers, will feature local musical bands and folklórico dancers.

A concert featuring Paquita la del Barrio and Pancho Barraza is scheduled Sept. 17 at Selland Arena. The performers will pay tribute to farmworkers.

“Every other activity is going to be really focused on family and kids and youth performers and talent,” said Arias.

Arte Américas is one of the organizations involved in planning the celebration, primarily lining up dancers, musicians and youth activities.

“Miguel really wanted to make it a very family-oriented event,” said Vivian Velasco Paz, chair of the Arte Américas board. She is working with Lilia Chávez of the Fresno Arts Council.

The celebration will include a children’s area with bilingual reading and arts. There will be a lotería all day.

Families can show up and help make paper flowers for the Día de los Muertos event at Arte Américas in late October.

The parade, which will start at 11 a.m. on Sept. 17., will include horses and their charro riders.

“It’s important to bring Fiestas Patrias back in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month,” said Dora Westerlund, president/CEO of the Fresno Area Hispanic Foundation.

“This is not only for the Mexican community, but for El Salvador, Guatemala and other countries. We will celebrate their art, their music, their dancing. That tradition was gone, and it is so important to bring it back.”

Other organizers include Downtown Fresno, the City of Fresno, the Fresno Arts Council, Frida Cafe, and Los Panchos Restaurant.

Details: Samantha Escareno at (559) 621-7833.