AURORA | Get out your crop tops and glam pants. Aurora will pay tribute to Tejano music legend Selena Quintanilla-Pérez as the main attraction at the 2025 Global Fest celebration in June, organizers announced Wednesday.
Widely honored as the “Queen of Tejano Music,” Selena’s life and career left a lasting cultural imprint before her 1995 death at age 24.
Thirty years later, her music continues to draw new generations of fans around the world.
As part of this year’s festivities, Aurora performer Mayra Alejandra will take the stage on the Great Lawn at Aurora city hall June 14, for a special tribute concert honoring the late music icon. Alejandra, a longtime Selena admirer said the chance to perform in Selena’s memory is both a joy and a responsibility.
“I enjoy it so much —it brings joy to people and that’s why I do it,” Alejandra said in a city statement. “I’m here to serve.”
Now in its 12th year, Aurora Global Fest has grown into the city’s premier celebration of cultural diversity.
Aurora has long been recognized as a hub of diversity in Colorado. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly 20% of the city’s residents were born outside the United States, with significant populations hailing from Mexico, Ethiopia, and other nations. Additionally, more than 40% of students in Aurora Public Schools speak a language other than English at home.
“Every year, Global Fest grows in size and attendance because it is unlike any event in Colorado,” Mayor Mike Coffman said last year. “Aurora truly is ‘The World in a City,’ and Global Fest is the best place to experience it on display.”
Ahead of Alejandra’s main-stage performance, the city will host a Selena look-alike contest in partnership with Amigos de Mexico. The competition will feature multiple age categories, with prizes for top finishers. A panel of judges from Aurora’s Hispanic and Latino community will select the winners. Organizers encourage fans of all ages to participate in what promises to be a festive and heartfelt tribute.
This year’s family-friendly event boasts two stages of live entertainment, plenty of international cuisine from local food trucks, an artisan marketplace, a Parade of Nations, fashion shows, and interactive art and cultural activities for children. Performers from five continents are scheduled throughout the day, including a martial arts demonstration by the U.S. Taekwondo Center, based in Aurora.
A complete schedule of performances will be released in June.
Global Fest 2025 runs 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. June 14 at the Aurora Municipal Center’s Great Lawn, 15151 E. Alameda Parkway, on the west side. Details at auroraglobalfest.org.