Bloomington’s first La Fiesta del Otoño — back in 2005 — was a small gathering in the parking lot of Bloomington’s City Hall.
Over the course of a couple decades, the fiesta grew. This year was its 20th anniversary and the largest one yet, filling the Switchyard Park Pavillion.
“It’s a very joyful event that represents how friendly, open and welcoming Bloomington is as a city and as a community,” said Ximena Martinez Ruiz, City of Bloomington’s Latino Outreach Coordinator.
She said La Fiesta del Otoño honors the unity, traditions and contributions of the Hispanic and Latino community in Bloomington.
Ximena Martinez Ruiz talks about the growth of La Fiesta del Otoño and Hispanic Heritage Month
She also said it is the city’s local celebration for Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs each year from mid-September to mid-October.
The observation began in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson and was expanded to Hispanic Heritage Month under President Ronald Reagan in 1988.
“We are celebrating our culture,” she said, “but it is open to all the groups of Bloomington — all the community. We want everybody to feel that they belong.”
The free celebration included food trucks, live music, dancing, crafts, games and resource booths from more than 50 local organizations.
“We want to show the Hispanic and Latino community that lives here in Bloomington to the rest of the community,” Martinez Ruiz said.
Performers included:
• Vick Luna Quartet, a local trombonist
• Sofia Crespo, an Indiana University student and dancer
• David Dávila y Amigos, a local band
• Mariachi Internacional de Bloomington, a local mariachi band
• IU Ballet Folklórico, a student-run dance organization at IU
Visitors could also take part in a passport challenge, participate in a dance competition and win prizes at the resource booths.
More information about the performers and a full list of organizations is available on the City of Bloomington’s website.
Vick Luna Quartet, a local band, performs during La Fiesta del Otoño
Kori Nikolai, an IU student and Bloomington resident, said the fiesta offered relief from the Trump administration’s immigration restrictions and mass deportations.
“Things are definitely kind of hard right now, especially for Latina people,” she said. “It’s really wonderful to be able to see us still come and celebrate.”
Martinez Ruiz said she did not consider cancelling this year’s La Fiesta del Otoño and chose to lean into the city’s Hispanic and Latino community.
“That’s our theme this year, ‘Finding strength in community,’” she said. “If we come together, we are stronger. That’s what we have seen in Bloomington. We all belong to the same city.”
Martinez Ruiz said she works closely with Bloomington’s Hispanic and Latino community, writing a Spanish monthly newsletter and producing and hosting “Hola Bloomington,” a Spanish radio program on WFHB every Friday from 6-7 p.m.
She also holds a seat on the city’s Commission on Hispanic and Latiné Affairs.
She said — above all — she wants the fiesta to be an experience that brings everyone together. After 20 years, that is exactly what it has done for her.
“It’s rewarding that here I can see tons of familiar faces, because here we know each other,” she said. “Even though we do not live next to each other, we feel like neighbors.”
