FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — Thousands of people filled downtown Fresno on Sunday for the city’s annual Fiestas Patrias celebration, with organizers saying attendance exceeded expectations as the event brought visitors, cultural performances and support for local businesses.<\/p>\n
The event spanned four blocks of downtown and featured a parade, more than 100 local vendors, live music and entertainment celebrating Hispanic heritage.<\/p>\n
For businesses in the area, the festival provided a welcome economic boost.<\/p>\n
“Today is very special for us,” said Gaby Dealba, supervisor of Jalisco Jewelers, which has operated in downtown Fresno since 1989.<\/p>\n
“For a big event like this here downtown, it brings in new customers. It brings in returning customers and it keeps us all together in a community to celebrate such a special day for the Hispanic community,” Dealba said.<\/p>\n
The festival’s impact extended beyond vendors participating in the event, helping draw customers into established storefronts throughout downtown.<\/p>\n
Stephanie Hernandez, an employee at Grupo Lina’s, a downtown business that has sold dresses and accessories for 20 years, said events like Fiestas Patrias are important for businesses facing challenges.<\/p>\n
“They’re important because a lot of the businesses are closing down and we need more support,” Hernandez said. “We would like to see more events like this happen in downtown.”<\/p>\n
The celebration also attracted visitors who do not regularly come downtown. Ana Karen Ayala traveled from Sanger to attend.<\/p>\n
“This is a great opportunity to celebrate those cultures and our roots. So, it’s really nice to have so much community around us and know we’re not the only ones out here. It’s beautiful,” Ayala said.<\/p>\n
Yery Olivares, chief operating officer of the Fresno Area Hispanic Foundation, said the event is centered on celebrating culture while supporting local entrepreneurs.<\/p>\n
“For us, it’s important for us as an organization that we get our small businesses involved and that we give them this type of opportunity so they can prosper,” she said.<\/p>\n
Olivares said organizers continue to keep the festival downtown because they believe a strong city center benefits the entire community.<\/p>\n
“We want a vibrant downtown. Every good city has a really good, vibrant downtown. We want to bring people to downtown Fresno. We want to make sure they know there are a lot of things happening, so come on down,” Olivares said.<\/p>\n
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