Fiesta Night draws big crowd to downtown Gainesville

May 2—Cinco de Mayo came a bit early to Gainesville's Farmers Market this year.

Fiesta Night is a cultural event enjoyed by approximately 4,000 people each year, according to Gainesville ISD Director of Communications Leslie Crutsinger.

The celebration began more than 15 years ago to highlight Hispanic Heritage month in October. It was initiated in Nora Moreno's bilingual classroom at Edison Elementary to teach her students about diversity and culture.

"It then transformed into a school event where Pre-K and first grade students performed traditional folkloric dances and songs for their families," Crutsinger told the Register.

As the dual language program expanded to include additional grade levels, the event grew as well. First, it grew to an outdoor event held at the junior high stadium and then three years ago grew even more and was moved to the Farmers Market on a day near Cinco de Mayo. The location change allowed for not only space for additional student performances, but also as an open invitation to the community to join the celebration.