The 55th Fiesta Day Parade kicks off at the Colorado State Fair

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) -- The Colorado State Fair consists of food, entertainment, fun, and celebrates culture. The final Sunday of every year is dubbed Fiesta Day, a day to celebrate and honor the Latino and Hispanic culture in Colorado and Pueblo.

Ahead of this year's Fiesta Day, KRDO spoke with three event organizers.

Ivan Reyes, member-at-large, explained how his father was one of the founders of Fiesta Day in 1967.

His father, Henry Reyes, was a radio personality for KAPI who would dedicate an hour of airtime to the Spanish-speaking community in the area.

During his time there, he convinced Don Svedman, the State Fair Manager at the time, to dedicate a day of the fair to celebrate the Hispanic community.

After successfully bringing in traditional Hispanic entertainment acts, the annual Fiesta Day was born.

In a statement released on a brochure for the first Fiesta Day, the Pueblo County Democratic Central Committee had the following to say about the culture day:

The Pueblo County Democratic office holders, employees and their staffs, take great pride in congratulating Henry Reyes, chairman of Fiesta Day, and all the active citizens of Colorado who gave so much of their time and energy in this very worthy endeavor.

It is our sincere hopes that many more Fiesta Days will come in future years, and we are hopefully that Fiesta Day will continue to be an important contribution to the Colorado State Fair.

Sincerely,
Tom Jagger, Chairman
Becky Martino, Vice Chairwoman
Chris Munoz, Secretary-Treasurer

For the last 55 years, the Colorado State Fair Fiesta Committee has dedicated time and effort throughout the year to continue the tradition for generations of Coloradans.

This year, Reyes explained how the Committee was able to get the legendary Shelly Lares in her final and 40th year of touring to perform for their annual fundraiser, Noche de Fiesta.

Fiesta Day at the Colorado State Fair begins with an outdoor mariachi mass. According to organizers, a band plays traditional Mexican music.

From there, the Fiesta Day Parade kicks off consisting of local schools, businesses, bands, dancers, and the Fiesta Day Queen and Court.

Organizers told KRDO that during Fiesta Day at the fairgrounds, performers from across the state, New Mexico, and Mexico travel to Pueblo to participate in the celebration.

Additionally, there will be traditional Mexican musical performances, rodeo performers, food, and decorations all day Sunday.

Stream the 55th Fiesta Day Parade below:

For more on Fiesta Day and the Colorado State Fair, click here.