Fiesta de Luces returns to laud heritage, culture of Hispanics
The City of Lights will shine brightly this weekend.
After a year-long break, Aurora's colorful Fiesta de Luces is back.
The "party of lights" is in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, which includes the festivals of independence from Spain by Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and Nicaragua.
The free family event will run 2 to 7:30 p.m. Saturday in the parking lot of the Aurora Transportation Center, Lincoln Avenue and Spring Street.
Delia Nila, festival chair, said she hopes the event provides Hispanics a sense of belonging.
With lingering national issues such as immigration rights, it's a tough time for some in the community, she said.
"We don't want people to lose sight of where we came from and be ashamed of it," she said. "Who we are now is what matters."
New this year is a 3:30 p.m. Parade of Nations, featuring costumed children from Aurora schools carrying the flags of 20 Latin American countries.
"I'm so excited about this," Nila said. "The children will be in beautiful colored dress."
Other activities include clowns, a slide, pony rides, Hispanic stories, face painting, crafts, dancers and a loteria (Spanish bingo). Dora the Explorer will be at the fest from 3 to 6 p.m.
Performing on the main stage will be Ambicion Musical, Ballet Folklorico Quetzalcoatl and Sones de Mexico.
The fest was first held in 2005, drawing a crowd of about 5,000, leaders say. Organizers skipped last year because downtown construction made it hard to pick a location.
This year, they're hoping for a crowd of about 8,000. And the entire community is invited, Nila said.
The event is sponsored, in part, by the city's Hispanic Heritage Advisory Board, which aims to educate the community about how Hispanics helped shape Aurora.
It is one of the board's three major annual events, with the others being a community breakfast in January and Dia de los Ninos in April.
If you go
What: Aurora's Fiesta de Luces celebration
When: 2 to 7:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Aurora Transportation Center parking lot, Lincoln Avenue and Spring Street
Cost: Free
Info: (630) 844-3640