AURORA | Aurora’s signature multicultural celebration will return June 13, bringing expanded offerings of international food, music, dance and cultural traditions to the city’s Municipal Center Great Lawn.
Now in its 13th year, Aurora Fest is a free, family-friendly event that highlights the diversity of one of Colorado’s most multicultural communities. Organizers say the festival showcases the sights, sounds and flavors of cultures from around the world while celebrating the people and communities that call Aurora home.
This year, 68 countries will be represented with cultural and food exhibits, performances and more.
“Aurora Fest encapsulates the spirit of our community,” Mayor Mike Coffman said in a statement. “From the delicious food to the colorful international marketplace to the wonderful performances, I hope everyone will join me in experiencing ‘The World in a City’.”
The event runs from 3 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Saturday, June 13, at the Aurora Municipal Center Great Lawn, 15151 E. Alameda Parkway.
Aurora officials said that about one in five Aurora residents is foreign-born and more than 160 languages are spoken in Aurora schools.
Festival attractions include 29 food trucks and food booths serving international cuisine, more than 60 vendors, a Parade of Nations, an international fashion show, art displays, children’s activities and access to community resources related to health, documentation services and food assistance.
“The festival’s international marketplace will feature 46 craft and merchandise vendors showcasing goods ranging from handmade Brazilian jewelry and accessories to authentic African clothing,” city spokesperson Joe Rubino said in a statement.
This year’s festival will also feature a tribute to Tejano music star Selena Quintanilla-Perez. Aurora resident Mayra Alejandra and her band will perform Selena’s music following an all-ages Selena look-alike contest with multiple age categories.
Selena remains one of the most influential figures in Latin music more than three decades after her death.
Often referred to as the “Queen of Tejano Music,” Selena helped bring the traditionally regional Texas-Mexican genre to a mainstream audience in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Her blend of Tejano, pop, cumbia and contemporary Latin sounds attracted fans across cultural and language boundaries, making her one of the most recognizable Latino entertainers of her generation.
Known simply as Selena, the singer-songwriter broke barriers for women in Latin music. She opened the floodgates for a new generation of contemporary artists of Latin descent who would go on to enjoy huge popularity with mainstream American audiences.
Selena was born in Texas in 1971. She died in 1995 at 23 after being shot by the president of her fan club.
Her music still resonates. Selena had sold more than 80 million units worldwide, making her the best-selling female artist in Latin music history.
Selena was the youngest child of a mother of Cherokee ancestry and a father who is Mexican-American.
Her influence can be seen in the careers of numerous contemporary Latin artists, and annual tributes, festivals and commemorations continue to draw large crowds. More than 30 years after her death, Selena remains a cultural icon whose music and legacy continue to resonate throughout the United States and Latin America.
The evening will end with a drone show by Brightflight Drone Shows. Organizers said the performance is part of the America 250–Colorado 150 commemoration marking the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States and the 150th anniversary of Colorado statehood.
Festival-goers will also be able to visit the Aurora Central Library and Aurora History Museum, both of which will be open during the event. The museum is offering free guided tours of “Mosaic of Cultures: Aurora’s Filipino Community,” an exhibit directly from some of the local Filipino community members who contributed to its creation. Live translation into any language will be available.
Organizers said more than two dozen performances representing cultures from five continents will be featured across two stages.
What and when
Aurora Stage Schedule
• 3 p.m.-3:05 p.m. — National Anthem
• 3:05 p.m.-3:30 p.m. — Parade of Nations
• 3:35 p.m.-3:55 p.m. — Dances from the Islands of Polynesia (Kalama)
• 4 p.m.-4:35 p.m. — International Fashion Show
• 4:40 p.m.-5 p.m. — LACI Studio Colombia
• 5:05 p.m.-5:25 p.m. — Hora Romanesca
• 5:30 p.m.-5:50 p.m. — Ballet Folklorico Patria Mexicana
• 5:55 p.m.-6:15 p.m. — PASCO Dance Troupe
• 6:20 p.m.-6:25 p.m. — Desi Caliente
• 6:30 p.m.-6:50 p.m. — DM Talent Academy by Venezuela Renaciente
• 6:55 p.m.-7:15 p.m. — Postoley Dance Ensemble
• 7:20 p.m.-7:40 p.m. — Peru Qwasa
• 7:45 p.m.-8:30 p.m. — Setup and sound check
• 8:30 p.m.-9:15 p.m. — Tribute to Selena by Mayra Alejandra and her Latin Band
• 9:30 p.m. — Drone show celebrating America’s 250th and Colorado’s 150th
anniversary
UCHealth Stage Schedule
• 3:30 p.m.-3:50 p.m. — Denver Shaolin Kung Fu and Yang Taichi
• 3:55 p.m.-4:15 p.m. — Basma Dance
• 4:20 p.m.-4:40 p.m. — NippLife
• 4:45 p.m.-5:05 p.m. — School of Breaking
• 5:10 p.m.-5:30 p.m. — Delnaz Iranian Dance Ensemble
• 5:35 p.m.-5:55 p.m. — Academia de Ballet Folklórico Nezahualcoyotl
• 6:00 p.m.-6:20 p.m. — Aurora Dance Arts
• 6:25 p.m.-6:45 p.m. — The Arts and Culture of Indonesia
• 6:50 p.m.-7:10 p.m. — KonnectPop
• 7:15 p.m.-7:35 p.m. — Colorado Ethiopian Community
• 7:40 p.m.-7:50 p.m. — Origenes Dance Collective
• 8:15 p.m.-8:30 p.m. — Selena Look-alike Contest
• 9:30 p.m. — Drone show celebrating America’s 250th and Colorado’s 150th
anniversary
Festival Rules
Organizers said the following items and activities are prohibited:
• Outside alcohol
• Glass bottles
• Illegal substances
• Open carry of firearms
• Unlawful devices
• Dogs
• Unauthorized sound amplification devices
• All bags are subject to inspection.
Details, including maps, parking information and accessible shuttle details are
available at AuroraGlobalFest.org.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.