Latinx House hosts third annual Raizado Festival in Aspen

Blanca Uzeta O’Leary’s history with the Roaring Fork Valley runs deep.

She has served on numerous nonprofit boards, including the Aspen Words Advisory Board, the Aspen Youth Center board, Voces Unidas de las Montañas, and much more.

She has also lived in Aspen for over 20 years. In those years she has watched the Latine community in the valley grow.

“My husband and I have been coming to Aspen for 40 years, even before we lived here, and the demographics have changed dramatically,” said O’Leary. “Since 1984 the Latino population has grown exponentially in the Roaring Fork Valley. As a matter of fact, in the state of Colorado, the Carbondale area has one of the fastest-growing concentrations of Latinos in our state, and often, the contributions of the Latino community have often been ignored or downplayed.”

This is one of the many reasons she was thrilled to connect with Mónica Ramírez, founder of the Raizado Festival and president of Justice for Migrant Women, several years ago. Since Raizado launched in 2022, O’Leary has served as a champion for the festival to raise the visibility of the local Latine community in Aspen and the Roaring Fork Valley. She has been a dedicated partner of the festival and a bridge builder to help support the Raizado team to deepen its roots and investment in the Colorado community.

“It is a way to celebrate the Latino contributions to our Valley, and what the Latino culture brings to our community in food, culture, dance, and film,” said O’Leary, who serves on this year’s host committee.

The festival was inaugurated in 2022 by The Latinx House, a project of Justice for Migrant Women, as to honor and acknowledge Latinx contributions to society. The Latinx House began at Sundance in 2020 and was created by Ramírez, along with producer and entrepreneur Olga Segura, and producer and activist Alexandra Martinez Kondracke, to be a social and political driver that highlights the powerful contributions of Latinx/e people across industries and sectors.

Raizado returns to Aspen this week for the third annual event from Thursday to Sunday at the Aspen Meadows Resort with film screenings at the Aspen Film Isis Theatre.

“As the Raizado Festival makes its return to Aspen, the opportunity we have to showcase the power of our Latinx/e community is not lost on us. This year we’re bringing together some of the most prominent figures across the country who can demonstrate the ways that the Latinx/e community is paving the way for excellence, authenticity, and pride,” Mónica Ramírez said in a prepared statement.

The Latinx House leaders say the festival is intentionally hosted in a location where predominantly white leaders have historically sought to drive the national cultural and thought-leadership conversations.

This year’s programming includes master classes, panels, live music, native teachings, and a free Community Day from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, centered around Latinx culture, tradition, and pride. To view the full programming for the Raizado Festival visit https://raizadofest.org/programming/.

The Festival is hosted by leaders in the entertainment industry, including Angelique Cabral, Chrissie Fit, Jesse John Garcia, Annie Gonzalez, Justina Machado, Diana Maria Riva, Curly Velasquez, Lisa Vidal, and features Latinx/e leaders across the culinary, nonprofit, government, media and business landscape.

A special film screening and film talkback will feature director, producer, and actor Diego Luna and the documentary film “State of Silence” at 8 p.m. Friday. Additional screenings include the short film “El Tesoro,” “Los Frikis,” and the docuseries “De la Calle.”

“Aspen Film is honored to be working with Raizado Festival for the second consecutive year collaborating with their incredible selection of film screenings at our AF Isis Theatre,” Aspen Film Executive + Artistic Director Susan Wrubel said. “The Raizado team has a knack for selecting exciting and culturally relevant Latine films that speak to our current world. Having a talented actor/producer like Diego Luna in person for a Q+A following Friday night’s screening of the impactful documentary “State of Silence” is an extraordinary opportunity for this community.”

To stay true to the Raizado Festival’s commitment to the city of Aspen, the festival will offer a full day of community-focused programming on Saturday, Aug. 17 that is free and open to the public in addition to festival goers.

The celebration will feature three boutique experiences focused on performances, panels, and discussions and a bespoke culinary experience that showcases the history and culture behind emerging Latinx/e food and beverage companies.

“I love everything about Latin American cuisine,” Chef Ramirez said. “The vibrancy, the colors, the textures, and the incredible diversity of flavors and ingredients from Mexico to Patagonia. It’s not just food to me; it’s part of my heritage and culture. Each dish tells a story and connects me to my roots, and I’m always excited to share that with others.”

Food lovers will enjoy authentic recipes representing the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America, and South America. The culinary team is headed by Chef Grace Ramirez. Leading her team is Justice for Migrant Women Senior Culinary Advisor Chef Melissa Tung, alongside Chef Kristen Little Espinal, and Chef Osvin Velasquez. Speakers will include Bravo TV’s Top Chef, Chef Byron Gomez and Chef Manny Barella, Bricia Lopez, Chef Pyet DeSpain, and others.

Festival organizers said that they have committed to 10 years of hosting the festival in Aspen and that they have received overwhelming support from the city as well as Mayor Torre.

“I love the Raizado Festival and appreciate the Latinx House for bringing this back to Aspen, truly one of my favorite events”, said Torre. “I think its relevance and importance for our Valley, our state, our country, and indeed our world is unparalleled. And so once again, we welcome Raizado back to Aspen with open arms.”

Sarah Girgis is the Publisher for The Aspen Times. She can be reached at 970-429-9151 or sgirgis@aspentimes.com.