‘It’s never left me stranded’: Colorado Springs car enthusiasts gather for Fiesta and Car Show

The quiet summer season at Sierra High School was cut short for one day as musicians, dancers and hundreds of vibrant cars, motorcycles and bicycles poured into the parking lots and nearby streets for the 41st annual Fiesta and Car Show Saturday. 

Hosted by Colorado Springs’ El Cinco de Mayo Inc., the car show had over 65 entries, many of the owners being members of various car clubs. The event is a tradition that’s meant to capture Mexican and Hispanic culture through food, dancing and cars.

Gaspar Martinez, the event organizer for 30 years, said the car show connects people to their community, noting it’s common for contestants to enter the show with their family and friends.

“It’s a generational thing — you’ve got grandpas then also their grandkids. Cars are a way of life here. Everybody loves fixing up cars. A lot of these people will pay to get their rims done. They’ll pay to get their stereo, their paint jobs. It’s just a community of car people that love cars,” Martinez said.

Saturday’s car show featured an array of vintage vehicles, tiny cars, flashy bikes, “hot rods” — a vehicle that has been customized to enhance performance — and “low riders.”

A low rider is any car, motorcycle or bike that has been modified to sit very low to the ground, with a streamlined appearance. The tradition dates back to the 1930s in Southern California, and the subculture has grown and evolved through the Hispanic and Mexican communities ever since.

Amy Valerio, 48, has grown up in Colorado Springs and has been a car enthusiast since she was in high school. Her 1970 Chevy Monte Carlo stoops low to the ground and is one of many cars that her family owns.

As a car family, Valerio and her husband have been “faithful” to the low rider community for almost 20 years and part of the City Wide Car Club for just as long. She entered her sleek, purple car with hydraulics into the event to show more about who she is and what she cares about.

“I wanted my car to look like it’s female-owned,” she said. “People walk up to my husband and say, ‘Oh, nice car.’ But that’s not his, that’s mine. So, I feel like it’s good to show younger girls that this isn’t just a hobby for men.”

The purple paint also ties into her work as a caregiver for people with Alzheimer’s disease. The color purple symbolizes the Alzheimer’s awareness ribbon, which Valerio said is the last color people with the disease remember.

Her love for cars has passed down to the next generation in her family, as her kids also have low riders and are part of the club.

Steve Mullis, 35, said he and his wife turned his motorcycle into a blue hot rod to honor his friend who died five years ago during the pandemic. His friend’s wife gave him the bike after his death, and Mullis has spent years storing his friend’s memory in it.

His fully chromed-out Harley-Davidson highlights his friend’s love of blue, and the old-school design showcases its imperfections, which Mullis said is what makes it look good. 

“I just enjoy riding it every time. It’s never left me stranded,” Mullis said. 

As a nonprofit organization, El Cinco de Mayo Inc. hosts events like the car show throughout the year to raise funds for a series of $1,000 scholarships awarded to underprivileged people pursuing higher education or in need of financial assistance. 

Martinez said the group has raised money for about 15,000 scholarships so far this year and can generally raise up to $50,000 every year, with a majority of it going to scholarships and the rest for maintenance and events for the next year.

It also hosts toy drives during Christmas to give to underprivileged children in the community, Martinez said.

Kelley Rodriguez, the organization’s chair, said its events have grown throughout the years. She noted that schools such as the University of Colorado Colorado Springs and Pikes Peak State College have started partnering with the group because it’s a great way to reach out to various communities.

Harrison School District 2 also assists the organization by providing it with resources and allowing it to host events at its schools.

The car show has bounced around to different school parking lots, shopping centers and parks. Martinez said it started at Monument Valley Park, transitioned to Memorial Park and moved around since.

“We try to keep our events on the southeast side of town because there (are) more Hispanics here. If we tried to have this event up north, then no one would show up,” he said.

Throughout the years, the number of eventgoers has fluctuated, according to Martinez. He said around 8,000 people came from start to finish last year, but there’s been some shows that have had as many as 12,000.

But what’s stayed the same has been the community the group has built around the events. 

“These types of festivals bring out all types of people,” Rodriguez said. “It’s a way to show culture and be a part of the community.”