Woodburn’s Fiesta Mexicana going strong after nearly 60 years

On Friday, Fiesta Mexicana kicks off in Woodburn. This annual summer weekend of festivities has been a community tradition for almost six decades, since it began in 1964 as a harvest festival showing gratitude for Woodburn’s farmworkers, many of whom were migrant workers from Mexico or Central America. Today, Woodburn has a majority-Latino/Latinx population, and remains home to a vibrant Mexican community.

People celebrating at Fiesta Mexicana this year can show up hungry and find vendors offering food from regions across Mexico. Live music and dance performances every day of the Fiesta range from local and regional groups, like Woodburn’s own high school mariachi band, to headliners from Mexico, like Banda Mach and Banda Maguey. The annual soccer tournament is off this year, while the soccer field at Woodburn’s Legion Park gets an upgrade, but spectators can cheer along at lucha libre wrestling matches. A big parade through town along First Street on Saturday morning includes a Fiesta Court made up of area high school students, a car show with vintage cars and lowriders on display, and more.

Luis Molina is a local pastor at Woodburn Foursquare Church and was the grand marshal of last year’s parade. Pastor Molina joined OPB host Jenn Chávez to talk more about Fiesta Mexicana and what’s coming up at this year’s event.