ELLY GRIMM
• Leader & Times
Those looking to help kick off Hispanic Heritage Month will soon have just that opportunity next weekend.
The 2026 Southwest Community Fiesta will be taking place the weekend of Sept. 19. Everything will begin Saturday, Sept. 19 with the Little Southwest Fiesta Queens and the Southwest Fiesta Queen pageants, which will start at 7 p.m. and be at the Seward County Activity Center at 810 Stadium Ave. Sunday, Sept. 20 will then be the big fiesta day, and it will all start with the parade at 2:30 p.m., which will start at 11th Street and Kansas Ave. (with lineup starting at 2 p.m. at Light Park) and end at Kansas Ave. and Trail Street. Then, the festival itself will be from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Seward County Activity Center.
Coordinator Clarissa Carrillo said there is a lot of excitement for this year’s festivities.
“We’re all really excited about the fiesta because we’ll again have entertainment featuring community members performing with dances and a lot of other colorful traditional performances, as well as singing, so there will be a little bit of everything in the part of the entertainment,” Carrillo said. “Another part that’s always fun is the food, there are always a lot of vendors with different traditional and really tasty food. There will be a lot of vendors and entertainment and games for everyone, so it should be a great family event for everyone to enjoy and have fun.”
And that includes the parade, Carrillo said.
“The parade is another great opportunity for us to come together as a community. It's always great to have those types of opportunities because we can all learn from one another, and with the fiesta taking place at the kickoff of Hispanic Heritage Month, people in the community will be able to learn more about our culture through our food and music and everything else,” Carrillo said. “Other communities in the area have events like this, and we want to be sure to also have one in Liberal so everyone can come together and celebrate and learn. When it comes to the parade, we're pretty welcoming and open, and we also want the participants to bring part of their traditions and turn them into a float, because this is a big celebration. People are welcome to put together a float or walk as a group or whatever they want to do, everyone is welcome, and anyone wanting to be in the parade can call me at (620) 417-4043, email
With everything that will be going on that weekend, Carrillo said she hopes to see a big turnout from the community.
“If you haven't been part of this celebration or had the chance to come by the other years, you're missing out because there's so much color, there's so much energy and music and dance and just a lot of beauty to see and experience when it comes to not only the diversity and traditions we have here in Liberal,” Carrillo said. “It’s also a great chance to gain experience of what the community has through food, music and the different performances, so again, it is a family event. There's something for all ages to experience and enjoy. It's going to be a really bright, colorful event that will be full of fun and activities that don't normally happen in the community. And again, the fiesta is a great learning opportunity for people because they'll get to learn more about different cultures and traditions and all of that. One of my favorite parts of the fiesta is all of the traditional dances and songs from other countries, so it's great to take all of that in not only visually, but aurally as well. One of the groups we’re really excited about is a mariachi group band coming from Dodge City Community College – it’s a new group, but we are excited and welcoming them in our community as well to be part of the festival. We'll also have a new group of folkloric dancers coming from Garden City, and they should also be a great part of the entertainment.”
Carrillo added she is also excited about the kickoff pageant.
“We already have a good number of little ones, and I think one of my favorite parts is being able to bring the different age categories together, because we have the Littles, we have the Teens, and we have the Miss,” Carrillo said. “At the beginning of all of this. I remember thinking the Misses would be teaching the little ones, but it's been the other way around, where the little ones have taught not only the Misses, but I think they end up teaching everyone about confidence and just enjoying the moment, and that's been really great to see throughout the last two years. There’s always that encouragement that keeps us pushing to have the pageant, and I’m looking forward to seeing all the contestants have that opportunity and space to just shine and learn and grow from the experience.”
Overall, Carrillo said, she is expecting another successful fiesta.
“It's a fiesta, and who doesn't want to go to a fiesta?” Carrillo said. “And like I mentioned, it’ll be a good time to just come, sit, relax, eat, and talk to others in the community. We also want to continue to increase the sponsorships because there is a great audience when it comes to the festival and activities, so it is a good opportunity for those who want to be sponsors. Those sponsors help us not only cover expenses, they also help us be able to give those scholarships that we give every year at the high school academic banquet. If you haven't been here before, it's definitely one thing you should definitely try and join.”
