MARC JACOBS
Hutch Post
SOUTH HUTCHINSON, Kan. — One of Hutchinson’s longest-running community traditions returns this weekend as Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish prepares for its 81st annual Fiesta celebration June 6-7. The event will feature food, music, dancing, fireworks, a poker tournament and raffle drawings while celebrating the parish’s rich cultural heritage.
Father Eric Weldon, who has served at the parish for the past five years, said the Fiesta has evolved over more than eight decades from a small community gathering into one of the area’s most anticipated annual events.
“The best things are always organic,” Weldon said, describing how the celebration grew from simple church social gatherings into a major community festival over the years.
This year’s Fiesta begins at 5 p.m. Saturday, June 6. Activities will include the opening of the beer garden and Dinky Diner, along with Mexican food booths featuring the parish’s popular homemade specialties. A 10-ounce ribeye steak dinner will be available for the first 100 attendees.
Entertainment Saturday night includes a street dance-style performance by Los Ocretos, featuring Norteno and Duranguense music. A poker tournament begins at 6:30 p.m., and the evening will conclude with a fireworks display around 9:45 p.m.
Festivities resume at 11 a.m. Sunday, June 7, with food service, live music and cultural performances. A band from a Wichita parish will perform Norteno music, while Folklorico dancers and mariachi musicians will provide entertainment throughout the day.
The Fiesta also includes a raffle with a $3,000 grand prize, a $2,000 second prize and a $1,000 third prize, along with additional prizes. Tickets are available in advance or during the event for a suggested donation of $2 each. Participants do not need to be present to win.
Weldon said the Fiesta remains an important fundraiser for the parish while also providing an opportunity to celebrate Mexican culture and the community’s history.
“It’s an opportunity to celebrate some more Mexican culture that has recently arrived in the last 30 years,” Weldon said. “We want to celebrate some things of who we are.”
The parish itself has deep roots in Hutchinson. Founded in 1927, Our Lady of Guadalupe is the city’s second-oldest Catholic parish, behind St. Teresa Catholic Church. The current church building was constructed in 1964 and serves a congregation with family ties dating back generations.
Weldon noted that many of the parish’s earliest members were Mexican immigrants who came to Kansas during periods of political unrest, revolution and religious persecution in Mexico during the early 20th century. Some descendants of those original families remain active members of the parish today.
Known for its famous fried tacos, which are also sold during the Kansas State Fair, the Fiesta continues to draw visitors from across the region. Weldon said the support of parishioners and the broader community has helped sustain the event for more than eight decades.
The 81st annual Our Lady of Guadalupe Fiesta will be held on parish grounds in South Hutchinson beginning at 5 p.m. Saturday, June 6, and continuing at 11 a.m. Sunday, June 7.