Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Our Lady of Guadalupe’s La Feria Guadalupana drew a large crowd Saturday to participate in its 16th year of its festivities.
Diana Diaz Barriga, one of the coordinators, said the La Feria Guadalupana is Our Lady of Guadalupe’s annual fundraising event.
“So essentially, all the booths that you see, all the profits that come from it is the fundraising. We have sponsors and donors who essentially allow us to buy and prepare everything for today. And then all of the proceeds and everything that gets raised from it is where we raise the money,” she said, noting last she believed the festival raised $100,000.
All the money raised stays local as the church pays local businesses to do the improvements. It also allows Our Lady of Guadalupe to grow, she said. This year, the church’s goal is to build Sunday school classrooms.
La Feria Guadalupana started as a smaller group getting together as a parish, but grew from there. People come from all over from places like Elkhart County, Plymouth and Ligonier. She estimated half of the people who attend the festival come from out of the county.
About an hour into the festival, Diaz Barriga couldn’t give a precise number of people at the festival but estimated a few hundred were there at that point.
This is the one event in Kosciusko County that really focuses on the Hispanic culture and what they have to offer, she said.
“We have such great support from the community and it continues to grow. We continue to have more nonprofits here and we have the Warsaw Community Schools here. I mean, it’s just one way to showcase what this community has and kinda how we all come together,” she said.
During the festival, there were about 20 food stands and 20 information booths from local nonprofits and organizations.
La Clave Privada, Grupo Khaotico, Banda La Kebradora and La Sonora Dinamita performed during the festival.
There also was folk dancing and a water balloon fight with law enforcement officers.
Bonnie Juarez was crowned festival queen.
