Who we are
In 1969, Mrs. Maurila Blakely Ortiz threw a party so her community would have somewhere to gather. Fifty-seven Septembers later, we're still throwing it.
That neighborhood cookout is now a three-day festival drawing 30,000+ visitors. It's also a year-round nonprofit: the Reinita Mexicana pageant, cultural workshops, and direct support for Mexican-owned businesses across Kent County.
One woman's idea. Many hands keep it alive. We haven't skipped a year, not even through the pandemic.
Maurila B. Ortiz
Founder, 1969
Our story
