Woodburn Independent Online

Fiesta meeting draws broad interest

City meets with community members to keep Fiesta Mexicana alive in Woodburn

• By: Rachel Cavanaugh  
• Published: 3/1/2010 8:19:38 AM

Photo By: Rachel CavanaughFiesta Mexicana meeting
Miguel Salinas and his wife, Linda, spoke about the history of the Fiesta Mexicana at a Wednesday meeting at Woodburn City Hall.

WOODBURN — There was laughter and nostalgia, as well as moments of tears Wednesday night, as a crowd gathered to discuss the future of Woodburn’s Fiesta Mexicana.
 
The meeting at City Hall, aimed at “reinventing” the Fiesta in light of a recent lawsuit, saw crowds driving in from Portland, Salem, Aurora and Canby, among other places. City officials said they were heartened by the large turnout, which was more than expected.
 
“I was pleasantly surprised,” said Recreation and Parks Director Jim Row. “There was a lot of good energy in the room. … It seemed to be a really optimistic and positive group.”
 
The crowd included former organizers, vendors, a security guard, local business owners, a former 1995 Fiesta princess, the daughter of a 1964 founder, members of Woodburn Area Chamber of Commerce, Woodburn Area Tourism, Historic Woodburn Neighborhoods Association, La Pantera radio, a Hispanic magazine and the Woodburn Latin American Club.
 
Attendees reminisced on the early years of the event.
 
Some discussed the need for a new direction.
 
Lidia Salinas, whose father was an original founder, said the Fiesta began as a “getting-to-know-you” event to say thank you to workers at the end of the harvest. Nowadays, with more than half the population Latino, she said that concept has become outdated.
“If you want all three cultural groups attending this event, you have to have a ‘Why?” said Salinas. “What’s the reason? (You have to have) the philosophy and start brand new because the old one’s not going to work anymore.”
 
The meeting came in the wake of a lawsuit between the city and the Woodburn Latin American Club, which has been in charge of the Fiesta in recent years.
 
The city is suing the club for the $9,173 in unpaid fees from last year’s event.
 
The legal action highlights tensions that have grown in recent years between the city and the Fiesta organizers. It also coincides with internal tension among club members, which led to all but three board members stepping down in the last four months.
 
An ongoing theme in Wednesday’s meeting was the desire to get Woodburn’s different cultures interested in the event. Some pointed to events like Portland’s Cinco de Mayo or Mt. Angel’s Oktoberfest as examples of culturally-based festivals that attract diverse crowds.
 
Yet several pointed to challenges with Woodburn’s Fiesta in recent years, including increased fees, a string of security issues, the question of gang presence and the event’s leadership — which some say has suffered from poor communication.
 
Rosemary Ramirez, who still sits on the board, said she was disturbed to learn about a last-minute change in ticket pricing.
 
“This is why we’re having a problem with the Latin American Club,” she said. “I am frustrated because there is no communication. In the meetings I am in the dark a lot.”
 
Another issue, she said, is that fees have increased dramatically to rent the park. She said costs went from $2,000 to $21,000 in less than a decade, which added to the list of organizational challenges.
 
Security has also been a problem.
 
Miguel Salinas, Lidia’s husband, has been attending the Fiestas for many years. He said he was worried last year by what he saw when he attended the Fiesta.
 
“I (left) because I could not understand what was going on,” said Salinas. “I saw too many people in blue. I said, ‘I better get out of here.’ … Things have really changed over time. The first Fiesta didn’t require any security whatsoever.”
 
Don Coss, owner of La Pantera radio, said there is a reason everything was “great before and isn’t now.”
 
He said much of the problem is the choice of entertainment.
 
“Mariachis are accepted and loved by everybody,” said Coss. “There are some Mexican bands and groups that are not and they should not even be a part of something like this.”
 
He added that these events do not inherently draw a bad crowd, pointing to festivals his radio station throws in the Downtown Plaza that go smoothly.
 
“We were asked one time before, ‘How come your events at the plaza don’t attract the kind of element that we have at the Fiesta?’” Coss said. “Quite frankly, I think there are some reasons why.
 
“The plaza (event) that we put on is a family-driven event. I’m not so sure that the Fiesta, frankly, has been a family-driven event.”
 
One person pointed out how families with multiple children can no longer afford rising ticket prices, especially with four, five or six children. That further drives away families and brings in a crowd of single, younger folks.
 
Row pointed out how a high police presence can create a sense of unease, even when everything is OK. He said he was unsettled when he brought his family last summer and noticed how many police officers were there.
 
That said, he stressed the reason so many police had to be present was because of problems at previous events.
 
 “We’ve had a pretty significant history of entertainment at the events that has drawn the gang element,” he said.
 
“We have to prepare for that … and that drives the cost way, way up.”
 
If the new committee is able to deal with some of those security issues, he said, it will bring the costs down.
 
Another problem at last summer’s event was a rumor that spread rapidly about the presence of undercover immigration officers, which caused nervousness and weakened the turnout.
 
A security guard at Wednesday’s meeting confirmed the rumor was true.
 
Some talked about moving the Fiesta from Legion Park or holding different events in different places.
 
One man asked if there was a way to get some grant money from the city or a portion of the hotel-motel tax. Both Row and Mayor Kathy Figley said they didn’t know, but would look into it.
 
In the coming weeks, Row said, the city hopes to get a committee together to begin planning.
 
Staff will help with the event the first few years to get it off the ground. The goal, however, is for the new Fiesta group to eventually become autonomous.
 
“The success of this event this year and into the future is really going to be based on the involvement of you and of the community that have a vested interest … that want to see the Mexican fiesta survive and thrive and grow and improve,” Row said.
 
The current president of the Woodburn Latin American Club, Margarita Garcia, was not present at the meeting, nor was her sister, Connie Barrera.
 
The next Fiesta planning meeting will be held March 10 at 6 p.m. at City Hall.

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