The Latino community in Estes Park makes up over ten percent of the town’s population. This group has a long and deep history of serving the community. Many Latinos are essential members of our workforce, some are successful entrepreneurs, and they enrich the culture of the Estes Valley with their creative and productive contributions.
Despite that record of community engagement, however, Latinos are hard to find in leadership positions in the town, whether in business, politics, or community organizations.
The Estes Chamber of Commerce Latino Alliance was formed to help change that. Chamber President Colleen DePasquale says that its purpose is to provide educational, business, and leadership development opportunities for the members of the Estes Latino community. The goal of the Alliance is to provide tools and access for them.
That’s certainly good for preparing those community members for a greater role in the leadership community. And the Alliance is working to raise awareness of the efforts of the Latino community and fostering connections between them and existing town leadership and institutions.
Estes has a substantially diverse population in the summer, with all the exchange visitors, from countries as far flung as Ghana, Albania, the Dominican Republic, the Congo, Ecuador, Thailand, Romania, Macedonia, and more. But those working visitors are here for only a few short months.
We have entrepreneurs and business owners who live here year-round, who are originally from various parts of the globe. So, there are pathways that have worked for them. And we have cultural festivals, with Cinco de Mayo, the First Peoples Festival — and the 50th anniversary of the Scottish Festival coming right up!
All our industrious residents who come from outside the USA deserve to have economic, educational, and social opportunities.
The relative size of our Latino community makes it a strong force in Estes. As the Alliance brings opportunities to develop leaders from our Latino community, Estes leaders need to open the doors.
Latino Alliance member Jorge Perez says, “We have been collaborating with partners from the Latino community and from Estes Valley businesses, public entities, and nonprofits. Our initial efforts have been focused on identifying areas of need and potential linkages between our partners that will help to accomplish our goals.”
I’ve met Jorge and many other members of the Alliance, and other Latino members of the community, and their work is strong, energetic, and heartfelt. There are many actions underway to help this cause.
Colleen believes that the initiatives that have been started or are planned will help unleash the entrepreneurial spirit of the Estes Latino community. Ultimately, the results from this rising spirit will be good for the continued economic and cultural health of Estes and the vitality of the community.
One of the Latino Alliance’s first initiatives is the promotion of Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15.
Hispanic Heritage Week was first proclaimed in 1968 by President Lyndon Johnson and then was expanded to National Hispanic Heritage Month and enacted into law in 1988 by President Ronald Reagan.
According to the Hispanic Heritage Month website, this is a time to celebrate the heritage, history, traditions, and cultural diversity of Hispanic Americans whose heritage is rooted in Spain, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay, Argentina, Uruguay, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic.
This monthlong celebration recognizes important milestones in the independence movements of several countries. Sept. 15 marks the anniversary of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua declaring independence from Spain in 1821. Mexico celebrates its Independence Day on Sept. 16, commemorating the beginning of its war for independence in 1810. Chile celebrates its Independence Day on Sept. 18, marking the formation of its First Government Junta in 1810 and the beginning of its movement toward self-government.
The theme of National Hispanic Heritage Month in 2026 is “Unidos, somos mas,” or “Together, We Are More,” and honors the diverse stories that strengthen our nation.
Jorge says, “We invite Estes Park residents to support our Latino Alliance by joining us at the various Hispanic Heritage Month events in the coming weeks. They include a Family Fiesta event at the Cleave Street Commons on Sept. 19, the return of Estes Park’s official Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebration om November 4 at the EP Events Center, and a month-long Dia de los Muertos Art Crawl at various locations downtown.
I will certainly participate and celebrate our Latino sisters and brothers. “¡Unidos, somos mas!”