The city of Aurora’s Fiestas Patrias celebration, including the first parade to be held for the holiday in Aurora since 2019, is set to take place this coming weekend.
A free, all-day festival is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 6, with the parade set for Sunday, according to a city news release. The events are being put on by the city in partnership with its Hispanic Heritage Advisory Board.
The Aurora Fiestas Patrias Festival has been a staple in the city over the years. It took a hiatus in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic, with the site then moving in 2022 from the Aurora Transportation Center parking lot to RiverEdge Park, where the event was held the last three years.
The event on Saturday, which will feature food vendors, live music and the traditional El Grito de Independencia ceremony, will be held at Wilder Park, 350 N. River St. in Aurora, from noon to 9 p.m.
Scheduled live performances include Ballet Folklorico Quetzalcoatl from noon to 12:45 p.m., Dragones Rock from 1 to 1:45 p.m, Juan Diego from 3 to 3:45 p.m., Sonora Santanera from 4 to 4:45 p.m., Banda Portillos from 5 to 5:45 p.m., El Grito from 6 to 6:40 p.m., Jose Luis Duval e Irma Infante con Mariachi from 7 to 7:45 p.m. and Los Sementales De Nuevo Leon from 8 to 9 p.m.
The Fiestas Patrias parade on Sunday is planned to start at 11 a.m. in downtown Aurora near the corner of Broadway and Benton Street.
Set to lead the parade as its grand marshal is Saul Olivas, who was selected through a public nomination process, according to the news release. Aurora officials said that Olivas, a longtime community member who currently serves as vice president of the East Aurora School District 131 Board of Education, has dedicated his life to education, equity and community service.
“Education and community are at the heart of everything I do,” Olivas said in the news release. “Aurora gave me the foundation to grow, and now I feel it’s my responsibility to help ensure the same opportunities are available for the next generation.”
Olivas’ first step into education was as a teacher’s assistant at C.I. Johnson Elementary School, where he supported students with special needs, coached volleyball and encouraged wellness through the 100-Mile Club, the news release said. This experience, city officials said in the news release, laid the foundation for his career as both an educator and a leader.
In addition to his seat on the school board, Olivas has also served as the Advisory Board President for the Dominican Literacy Center, currently serves as the Vice President II of the Citizen Police Academy Alumni of Aurora and is active with the Aurora Lions Club, the Aurora East Educational Foundation and the Alliance of Latinos Motivating Action in the Suburbs, according to the news release.
Olivas is also a member of the Illinois Education Association, which is a strong supporter of public education and equity, the city news release said.
