Organizers of Fiestas Patrias expect thousands at downtown Fresno celebration
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- Fresno hosts Fiestas Patrias to honor Hispanic heritage amid safety concerns.
- Organizers implement security, police patrols to safeguard immigrant attendees.
- City leaders resist federal pressure, affirm support for cultural celebrations.
Organizers of the popular Fiestas Patrias briefly considered cancelling this weekend’s downtown Fresno event, given widespread fears of deportation raids, but ultimately decided it was more important to hold the annual celebration.
“We are not going to allow, you know, the President and his violation of due process to completely shut down our city,” said Miguel Arias, Fresno City councilmember. “Fiestas Patrias is like the Christmas parade, like the veteran’s parade, these are annual city-sponsored events that we intend to continue hosting.”
Fiestas Patrias takes place Sunday in downtown Fresno on Fulton Street from Fresno to Mono streets. The celebration honors the Latin American countries of Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Chile and their independence and cultural heritage in September.
Dora Westerlund, CEO at Fresno Area Hispanic Foundation, one of the organizers of the events, said she was concerned about holding the event this year amid the Trump administration’s directive of mass deportations.
“Of course, we always have to be cautious,” Westerlund said. “We want to have everyone safe, have a good time and excitement about celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month.”
The event includes a parade, food vendors, free live entertainment, ballet folklorico, mariachi, Banda, and the traditional “El Grito de Dolores” (the Cry of Dolores) presented by the head of Consul of Mexico in Fresno. The celebration is expected to attract 15,000 people. The Consul of El Salvador will deliver a special message to commemorate their nation’s independence, as well.
“It’s a city event in the middle of the city of Fresno jurisdiction. We plan to have security and police available, and so we anticipate people are going to be safe,” Arias said. “We have our existing city policy that our law enforcement does not in any way coordinate with federal officials on federal enforcement rules.”
Arias said organizers anticipate people to be able to attend the event and enjoy themselves.
“We just had 10,000 people in downtown stadium this past weekend. We just had 15,000 people at our Art Hope last Thursday, and so this will be no different,” he said.
“If it was up to President Trump, we wouldn’t have the Pride Parade or Fiesta Patrias,” Arias said. “It‘s not up to him. This is our community, and we’ll continue to celebrate our cultures and our traditions and our local values while taking every precaution and keep people safe.”
This story was originally published September 12, 2025 at 12:59 PM.
