The lively music starts.

Then come the colors of the papel picado — bright, bold and setting the tone for the fiesta to come.

A crowd gathers around dancing horses. Mexican luchadores prepare to take the ring. Children search for piñatas and the sound of celebration carries across the Colorado Springs Flea Market grounds.

Somewhere between the corridos and comida, Colorado Springs will trade its usual Saturday plans for a fiesta.

The fifth annual Fiestas Patrias returns on Saturday, with a free day of music, food, culture, family activities and entertainment.

This year, however, one fiesta won’t be enough.

On Sunday, the party will make its way to the Denver metro area’s Mile High Flea Market, expanding the celebration to two cities for the first time.

“We want to provide a celebration that kicks off Hispanic Heritage Month,” said Moni Hernandez, one of the festival’s founders. “We want to recognize that we’re one country and we are a melting pot. There’s so many people from so many places that have been here for generations. As long as people aren’t breaking the law, they should be able to come out and celebrate.”

A fiesta they said couldn’t happen

Before tens of thousands of people gathered to celebrate the first festival in 2021, it was just an idea Hernandez said was never supposed to work.

“I used to work in the Spanish radio and people would always say they wanted to do a festival here,” she said. “I talked to the owner of the radio station and she said, ‘That could never happen in Colorado Springs.’ Five years later, I’m closing down the streets for Fiestas Patrias.” 

Along with co-founder Cory Arcarese, Hernandez helped draw 27,000 people to the first Fiestas Patrias. The following year, the celebration expanded into a two-day festival and attendance climbed to about 47,000. By its third year, Hernandez said roughly 53,000 people attended.

Then came a different kind of challenge.

Last year’s attendance dropped to about 32,000, which Hernandez attributed in part to growing political tensions and fear within parts of the Latino community.

“I have some people that think it’s scary and they can’t go because ICE [U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement] will be there,” she said. “Then I have other organizations that say we’re legal, support Latinos and deserve to be there. There’s people that have fear and other people that are like, ‘This is who we are.’ I get both sides.”

In response, Hernandez said the festival shifted its approach, broadening its focus to reach American Latinos as well, while continuing to celebrate Hispanic culture and heritage. 

And while Fiestas Patrias spent previous years growing into a larger celebration across multiple days, its fifth year brings another change: a celebration across two cities.

On Saturday, the Colorado Springs event is free, with parking up to $10. In Henderson, the celebration is free with admission to the Mile High Flea Market, which costs $4 per person.

A little música, a little lucha and a whole lot of fun 

Of course, no fiesta would be complete without food.

Festivalgoers will have plenty of options to choose from, with vendors serving everything from Mexican, Cuban and Salvadoran dishes to Tex-Mex and American food.

Families can also wander between vendors, visit the kids zone, catch live music and stop to watch some of the event’s biggest attractions, such as One Revolution Wrestling’s masked competitors. 

“People come from all over the state to see the luchadores or dancing horses,” Hernandez said. “We draw a lot of people into our city, and it’s going to be interesting this year because now we’ll see if people show up for us in two cities.”

And while the bandas, horses and luchadores may be some of the biggest attractions, Hernandez said Fiestas Patrias was designed to offer a little something for every member of the familia.

Two words: Estamos Unidos

For Hernandez, Fiestas Patrias is about putting a spotlight on one of Colorado Spring’s most prominent minority cultures.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Hispanic residents make up a significant part of Colorado Springs, accounting for 19.3% of the city’s population.

“It doesn’t get any deeper than people having fear to live,” she said. “One of the beautiful things about Colorado Springs is that people are very embracing. Fiestas Patrias is meant to celebrate Colorado’s culture.”

The event has received support from organizations including the Pikes Peak Community Foundation, the Bee Vradenburg Foundation and El Pomar Foundation, with sponsors such as the Colorado Springs Airport, Toyota of Colorado Springs and Modelo. 

This year, the festival is also helping kick off a broader season of cultural celebrations.

Fiestas Patrias has partnered with Pikes Peak State College and the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College on a campaign called “Estamos Unidos,” meaning “We Are United.”

The Colorado Springs festival will serve as the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month programming, followed by events at Pikes Peak State College throughout the month. The season of celebrations will eventually conclude with Día de los Muertos events at 30 West Dale St. at the beginning of November.

IF YOU GO 

What: Fiestas Patrias

When: Saturday and Sunday

Where: Colorado Springs Flea Market, 5225 E. Platte Ave.; Mile High Flea Market, Henderson, 7007 E. 88th Ave. 

Price: Free-$4, fiestaspatriascolorado.com