From the plaza, to the Big Rock Convention Center, to the roadside of Paseo de Oñate, chances are Española residents heard the litany at least once this weekend — “Que Viva la Fiesta! Que Viva La Reina! Que Viva el Oñate!” — as the town partied on at the 2009 Española Fiesta.
“I was so pleased,” Fiesta Council President Maria Lopez Garcia said. “I couldn’t have been happier. I have gotten nothing but positive comments.”
This year’s Fiesta was Garcia’s second and final one as Council president, and she said she hopes and believes she was able to restore the event’s somewhat tarnished reputation.
“That’s why I got involved in Fiesta, to bring it back,” she said. “I love the Fiestas and I hope I did my part to restore it to its former glory and I think we did that. I think two years at the top is plenty of time.”
Despite a few police incidents, including a scuffle involving a man arrested for disorderly conduct, (see related story on page A3), Lopez said she felt the event went smoothly.
For Fiesta visitor John Archuleta, Fiesta was a time to remember that the culture of his hometown goes back almost 400 years.
“It’s really about history,” he said. “And it’s a lot of fun.”
For his wife Brenda Archuleta, this year’s Fiesta was about history in a more personal way. While she was born in Española, Archuleta has been living in Missouri for the past 30 years. This was her first Fiesta back in New Mexico.
“I remember going to the carnival when I was a little girl,” she said. “I’ve been back mostly once a year, but it’s really nice to be back home.”
The centerpiece of the weekend was the Grand Parade on Sunday. Thousands of people lined Fairview Lane and Paseo de Oñate to watch the floats, which included the Española Fiesta Court, and the royalty of three other Northern New Mexico fiestas. This year’s parade included more floats than previous years because Lopez required politicians to create floats rather than simply drive cars.
“I thought it was really well done,” said parade spectator Rosario Martinez, of Albuquerque. “I just loved all the colors and all the music. I don’t really have family here anymore, but I still love to see Fiesta when I get the chance. Que viva!”
The Española royal court will in turn be attending the fiestas in Taos and Santa Fe later this year, and the current Fiesta Council will end its tenure in September. The council will meet Thursday (7/16) to begin organizing event finances and discuss a possible replacement for Garcia.
“I do have someone in mind that I’d like to take the job,” Garcia said. “But it’s up to the City Council if they take our recommendations.”
Event finances will likely be complete in the next few weeks.