ENJOYING THE AFTERNOON: Visitors at the 25th annual Fiesta del Pueblo at Fulwood Park in Tifton.

TIFTON — Fulwood Park was abuzz Sept. 23, 2023, with the 25th annual Fiesta del Pueblo.

The aroma of delicious foods filled the air throughout the park, but those vendors were far from the only ones available. Tents catered to everything, from information about Tift County Schools’ migrant program, to clothing, to assistance with registering to vote. Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College joined Tift County Schools as local educational groups with tents set up.

Two stages offered live performances in different areas of Fulwood Park, with a full schedule for each, including the Mood Doctors, mariachi band Los Arrieros, singer Gianella Carrera, Platanito the Clown, and the Ministerio Aposento Alto Dancers.

There were activities for kids as well. The Tifton Council for the Arts had an area with free arts and crafts. A rock climbing wall was available, as well as train rides.

Food, of course, was the most popular, with as many vendors for that as everything else.

Fiesta del Pueblo began as a small event in Omega in 1996 and has grown exponentially, drawing visitors from all over southern Georgia. Though aimed at the area’s Hispanic residents, it is a popular event for many groups. Organizers estimated the festival drew 18,000 people.

The day’s festivities began with a flag parade down Tift Avenue from 12th to 8th Street, followed by an opening speech to kick off the party at the park by Mayor Julie Smith. In the evening, Miss Fiesta del Pueblo was crowned, based on online voting.

As a complement to the event’s festivities, the Fiesta del Pueblo committee awarded its Maria Guadalupe Cervantes Memorial Scholarship to Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College freshman Joan Tovar-Martinez. The scholarship is given to ABAC students in remembrance of its namesake, a Mexico educator who was unable to become a teacher in the U.S. Tovar-Martinez hopes to put it toward furthering his studies in agriculture technology and management and from there pursue a career in agribusiness after graduating, according to a press release from Fiesta del Pueblo organizers.