Saint Patrick Fiesta celebrates 57 Years of culture and community

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) -- The 57th annual Saint Patrick Fiesta brought together community members from across Saint Joseph for a weekend of culture, cuisine, and celebration.

Matthew Bobela, Marketing Coordinator for the Fiesta, described the celebration as a labor of love that has evolved far beyond its Mexican roots to include countries from across Latin America.

"It gets bigger and incorporates more and more of our community, both here at our parish, representing the various countries that we have in our Spanish mass community, and then also here in the greater community of Saint Joseph," Bobela said.

The Fiesta, hosted by the parish, has become a cornerstone event for the church, showcasing Latin American culture through music, dance, and food.

Bobela, who admitted a personal fondness for Venezuelan cuisine, said the food alone was worth the visit.

"This fiesta brings together many foods from many different cultures. If you leave hungry, it's your own fault," he joked. "The aromas that you smell all day as we're setting up is amazing. Getting to try bits of the food all throughout the fiesta is quite a delight."

This year, organizers brought back fair and carnival-style games that harkened back to the Fiesta's early years, a nostalgic touch that Bobela said was heartwarming to see.

A highlight of the weekend remained the folkloric dancing show, which has traditionally featured Mexican ballet folklórico, and in recent years, Venezuelan folkloric dances have been added to the lineup.

"It's always a beautiful sight to see all those wonderful flowing dresses and the vibrant music from all of those cultures being showcased on our stage," Bobela said.

Organizers say it's an event that they look forward to hosting every year, and say that diversity is what makes St. Joseph great.

"The word Catholic means universal," he explained. "Throughout all the decades that this fiesta has been put on, we have always been empowered to show off the beauty of this culture. We're grateful that we can put the politics aside and show off the beauty of this culture, regardless of religion, regardless of politics, how we're able to come together from no matter what belief and celebrate the beauty of this culture that we have here in Saint Joseph."

St. Patrick's Parish is located at 1723 S 12th St in St. Joseph.

If you missed out on the festivities this year, keep a lookout around this time next year.