MILWAUKEE — The Mexican Fiesta is more than a cultural celebration — it's a fundraiser supporting Hispanic students and local nonprofits, while giving Milwaukee artists a platform to share their work.
Proceeds from the Fiesta benefit the Wisconsin Hispanic Scholarship Foundation, which provides scholarships to Hispanic students pursuing higher education. Jesús said the foundation has been able to give back up to $2 million to date.
"Just think it's like amazing that it's like the community gets to have fun and then they're putting their grain of sand to help their children and their children's friends and other children continue their education," Jesús said.
Purchases made at the Fiesta also support local nonprofits. Patrick Chaves runs a run club on Milwaukee's south side, helping people engage with their community in a healthy way. Chaves said the money raised goes toward keeping programming free for participants.
"We don't ever wanna charge our community directly, right? They're here for an experience and a lesson in health and wellness, and we wanna provide that for free," Chaves said.
Around the festival grounds, attendees can view various art installations, including a colorful tree that is part of the Cielo Tejido exhibit, which was most recently displayed at the World Cup Games.
The Fiesta is also spotlighting local artists. Milwaukee visual artist Mauricio Ramirez is creating a mural at the festival grounds that visitors can watch take shape in real time. After attending the Fiesta as a guest for many years, Ramirez said he is excited to be back contributing his art.
"We're very colorful people we enjoy painting everything every single color and telling our story more importantly and I think, you know, I think that just needs to be said and needs to be shared with uh within this festival because you know, here I am a local muralist. I think it's kind of my responsibility to kind of contribute to this festival," Ramirez said.
The Mexican Fiesta continues through Sunday at the Summerfest grounds, running from noon to midnight. Tickets are $28.
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