On Saturday afternoon, families and skipping children wove through crowds and past brightly colored carnival games on Ashland Avenue. The scent of fried food and the sound of Latin music floated through the summer air.
More than 100,000 neighbors of all ages were expected to gather over a three-day weekend for the Fiesta Back of the Yards, an annual affair that celebrates the community and diverse culture of the South Side neighborhood.
The Fiesta, now in its 35th year, is more than it may seem. In a neighborhood sometimes marked by gangs and violence, and in a time of heightened anxiety over immigration enforcement, the Fiesta Back of the Yards acts as a beacon of light, offering food, social services, music and fun in a safe environment.
“The goal is to showcase the community,” said Craig Chico, who is CEO of the Back of the Yards neighborhood council and has been at the helm of the street festival for more than 15 years. “Our community suffers from a negative perception, but we want everyone to know this is a beautiful community with beautiful people.”
The Fiesta Back of the Yards is a staple event with origins in a monthlong festival called the Free Fair that began in 1940. It has taken place on South Ashland Avenue for the past three years.
For many, including Zitlally Jimenez, 26, of Brighton Park, coming to the Fiesta Back of the Yards is an annual event. She has been at the festival every year since she was 10, and this year she was joined by her 1-year-old son.
For Sergio Garcia, 19, of Gage Park, this was his first experience with the Fiesta. He attended Saturday afternoon with his family.
“My favorite part is being able to experience the different cultures of the community, the different establishments, restaurants and obviously the attractions,” Garcia said.
With a strong private security and police presence at the street festival, neighbors said safety was not a huge concern.
In the past year, as the federal government launched Operation Midway Blitz, the increased presence of immigration enforcement agents has led to the cancellation of several Hispanic festivals, notably El Grito and the Hispanic Arts Festival last September. The Fiesta Back of the Yards persisted, though board members said they “grappled” with the decision.
“That you can make a safe environment, that we’re offering that, is the best we can do,” said Phil Fuentes, a Back of the Yards Neighborhood Council board member. “For us to say, ‘We’re not going to do this anymore because of a threat,’ that’s not going to happen.”
Chico and Fuentes said Immigration and Customs Enforcement was still a concern for the Fiesta Back of the Yards organizers, but less now than last year.
“You can’t stop living because of fear,” Chico said. “We wanted to provide this for people so that the people who were in fear, they knew that they had a safe place to come to and enjoy life and still have some normalcy.”