Hernández Crowned Miss Mexican Fiesta 2009

Mexican Fiesta and the Wisconsin Hispanic Scholarship Foundation, Inc. expected to move to a new South side location

By H. Nelson Goodson
August 24, 2009

Milwaukee –Erica Hernández, 19, of Milwaukee was crowned Miss Mexican Fiesta 2009 on Friday during Mexican Fiesta at the Henry Maier Festival Park lakefront Summerfest grounds. Hernández is a student at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Her parents are from Zacatecas, Mexico. Erica is the second Hernández family member to be crowned Miss Mexican Fiesta. She was one of fourteen contestants who participated in the pageant. Her sister Janet Isabel Hernández was crowned Miss Mexican Fiesta in 2000.
Deana Marie Velázquez, 19, was selected as the 1st runner-up for Miss Mexican Fiesta 2009. Velázquez attends Alverno College in Milwaukee.

It was a chilly weekend, but festivalgoers made their way to the lakefront festival to enjoy a variety of foods from different regions of Mexico, including Puerto Rican food, musical bands such as mariachi groups, Tejano bands, Duranguense bands, Folkloric dancers, and the Gran Charreada (Mexican Rodeo), which enriches the Mexican culture and provides taste of Mexico in Wisconsin.
One of the favorites places to eat enchiladas was the booth where Enchiladas Michoacanas, and stuff gorditas were being served near the Back Yard (El Rey-Nissan) stage on the South end of the festival grounds.

The August 21-23 festival had numerous favorite sites to visit such as the Cultural Village featuring artisans from the City of Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico and their religious Lady of Zapopan, including Artesanias Sol y Luna of Teotihuacan, from the State of México. Teotihuacan translated from the Nahuatl as "City of the Gods", which had 100,000 inhabitants, several pyramids and placing it among the largest cities of the world in this period during the first half of the 1st millennium CE (January 1, 1 AD, and ended on December 31, 1000).
At the Cultural Village on Sunday, a female dancer from El Grupo De Danza Autóctona Xaliztli sponsored by the City government of Zapopan gave a rare smoke of incense sweep through out the body of people willing to donate a dollar to get the good luck blessing of the Xaliztli dancers, while friends, family and on lookers took pictures.

El Güero y su Banda Centenario attracted local fans due to the lead singers roots to Milwaukee. Jorge "El Güero" Hernández may be the best-known regional Mexican artist with Milwaukee roots. Rubén Ramos, Veneno (Merengue Band), Jaime y los Chamacos, Liberty Band, Tiranos del Norte, El Coyote y su Banda Tierra Santa, Isabela y su Banda Duranguense, La Sonora Internacional, Banda Cuisillos, Mingo Saldivar, and the Latin Dance Company Productions offering “Salsa” dance lessons by La Maestra Christine Almeida and friends were some of the main attractions.

This year’s event was billed as one of the best Mexican Fiesta’s cultural festivities at Summerfest in 32 years of their existence by festivalgoers.
The Wisconsin Hispanic Scholarship Foundation, Inc. (WHSF), 1220 W. Windlake Ave., which manages and operates Mexican Fiesta, is expected to begin moving its operation to another South side location on Monday. WHSF plans to be out of the Windlake location by the end of September.

WHSF will move all of Mexican Fiesta equipment, supplies pertaining to the festival and office related items to their new location at 2997 S. 20th St. The acquired property has two acres of land for future expansion. The new facility will be able to accommodate larger office space, once the planned construction inside the building has been completed.

Artesanias Sol y Luna of Teotihuacan, from the State of México

Click on any picture to enlarge.

Photos of Miss Mexican Fiesta 2009 provided by: PHOTO ACTION USA/Cy White

Erica Hernández is crowned Miss Mexican Fiesta 2009 at the Harley-Davidson stage on Friday during the Mexican Fiesta festival at the Summerfest grounds.



Deana Marie Velázquez, was selected as the 1st runner-up in the Miss Mexican Fiesta pageant. Velázquez poses with Erica Hernández who was crowned Miss Mexican Fiesta 2009 on August 21, 2009. Velázquez is student at Alverno College and Hernández is a student at the Univeristy of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.