The annual Tacos y Tequila Festival, a beloved two-day celebration of Latino culture in Spokane, has been officially canceled due to escalating concerns over safety and increased immigration enforcement. The decision, announced by Nuestras Raíces Community Center, marks a painful moment for the region’s Latino community — one rooted in both fear and resilience.
“We Are Being Targeted”
“We just don’t feel like it’s safe right now to hold a Latino festival because we are being targeted,” said Fernanda Mazcot, executive director of Nuestras Raíces.
Originally scheduled for August 23–24, the festival has drawn thousands of attendees each year, with around 7,000 people attending daily. Since its launch five years ago, it has showcased Latino food, music, and dance, often featuring performers from across Washington and even from Texas.
However, the current political climate and rising immigration enforcement — especially under the Trump administration’s policies — have created a chilling effect, making many community members and organizers fearful of public gatherings.
Mazcot cited rising anti-immigrant rhetoric and real-life incidents as key reasons for calling off the festival. “It’s really sad,” she said. “Because this event was meant to be a joyous event for families and showcase Spokane.”
Financial and Emotional Impact
The festival typically raises around $70,000 annually, which helps fund critical community programs including a food bank and behavioral health services. This year, the organization had hoped to raise $80,000 to help recover from $30,000 in cuts sustained during previous federal funding shifts.
In addition to lost revenue for Nuestras Raíces, the cancellation also affects dozens of small businesses and vendors, many of whom depend on the festival as a major source of income.
“Small businesses really look forward to this festival,” Mazcot said. “This is one of their main events where they do make some profit before the slower winter months.”
Isabel Varela, owner of Las Delicias de Isa, a small business specializing in Mexican pastries, expressed deep sadness in a written statement:
“It feels like a piece of our roots, our identity, and the space we’ve worked so hard to build in this city is being taken from us.”
Attempts to Salvage the Festival Fell Short
Organizers did explore relocating the event to the Spokane Pavilion and implementing ticketing to better manage safety. However, limited funding and uncertainty among staff, vendors, and performers led to the final decision to cancel.
Despite the setback, Mazcot emphasized the importance of the event for Spokane as a whole. “This is not just a festival of our nonprofit. It is a festival that brings color, culture, and visitors to Spokane.”
Other Latino Events Also Canceled
Nuestras Raíces is not alone in its concerns. Latinos en Spokane, another nonprofit serving the region’s Latino population, also announced the cancellation of its upcoming Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations, including Independence Day events for several Latin American countries.
The group will continue to hold its El Mercadito, a monthly Latino farmers market in Liberty Lake, as it operates on a smaller scale with tight volunteer oversight to ensure safety.
Executive Director Jennyfer Mesa said the organization has had encounters with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which forced them to close office access and increase internal monitoring.
“They’ve tried to come in to talk to us and others,” Mesa said. “We want to create as much safety as possible.”
Mesa added that she was relieved to see Nuestras Raíces taking similar action. “We are not in a time of celebration,” she said. “We can’t celebrate when we know our kids are being left without parents, and we live in fear every day.”
A Call to Action
Instead of celebration, Mesa called this moment a time for action:
-
Walkouts
-
Strikes
-
Community organizing
-
Political accountability
“This is a time for us to hold elected officials accountable to create real safety,” Mesa emphasized. “There’s no way for us to be a community when we are targeted for being undocumented — and also targeted for doing things the legal way.”
Looking to 2026 and Beyond
Mazcot and her team are already planning for the 2026 edition of the Tacos y Tequila Festival, with a focus on stronger safety protocols and inclusivity. They hope to rebuild the festival as not just a cultural event but as a symbol of strength and unity for Spokane’s growing Latino community.
“We’re going to continue the work,” Mazcot said. “But we want the City Council and the people of Spokane to understand — this isn’t just about music and tacos. It’s about belonging, about economic opportunity, and about our right to exist without fear.”
While this year’s celebrations have been silenced, the voices behind them remain louder than ever — calling for protection, recognition, and lasting change.
Leave a Reply