Fear Silences the Festival: Latino Events Canceled Across the Northwest

12 September 2025

In communities across Oregon and Washington this September a heavy tension settled in among Latino organizers who have decided to cancel many of their long-standing cultural events. What used to be a time of vibrant celebration in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month has been overshadowed by fear over increased U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity. The result is a wave of cancellations leaving many asking whether it is still possible to celebrate openly when communities feel under threat.

Latino organizations that once planned weeks of music food gatherings dance folklorico festivals and Independence Day celebrations have pulled back. In Spokane Washington the nonprofit Latinos en Spokane called off its Independence Day events for Mexico Venezuela and other Latin nations citing concerns for safety. Executive Director Jennyfer Mesa said it was no longer right to party when families are worried about loved ones being taken away. Mesmerized by fear organizers felt compelled to choose caution over tradition.

Other marquee events followed suit. The Tacos y Tequila Festival in Spokane slated as a two-day Latino cultural jamboree was canceled though it had drawn roughly 7,000 people per day in past years. Organizers of Pacific Northwest Folklorico in Seattle initially slated for late summer also pulled the plug. The Seattle nonprofit Joyas Mestizas blamed growing ICE raids and a political climate that has made public gatherings risky.

Some events did try to adapt rather than disappear entirely. In Hillsboro Oregon Centro Cultural moved its annual El Grito celebration of Mexican Independence online this year. What used to be a public gathering shifted to a virtual format. Though the change preserved part of the tradition the loss of physical togetherness weighed on many.

In Central Oregon the Latino Fest in Madras which historically draws large crowds has also been canceled for the year. The same has happened to Latinx Fiesta Celebración at Central Oregon Community College. Catalina Sánchez Frank, director of the Latino Community Association said that rumors of raids anti-immigrant rhetoric and enforcement actions had made local organizers feel they could no longer ensure the safety of attendees.

The backdrop is one in which both Oregon and Washington are sanctuary states yet ICE arrests in the region are rising. From January through July of 2025 the Seattle Field Office which covers Alaska Idaho Oregon and Washington processed around 1,660 arrests, outpacing numbers for all of 2024. That upward tick in immigration enforcement hangs over these decisions to cancel or scale back events.

The decision to cancel has emotional consequences. Mesa described how children are facing empty seats from parents who were detained. She spoke of dread that fills homes that had once looked forward to festivals and dances. Organizers said that for many the normal joy and pride of sharing culture in public have been replaced with chill and watchfulness.

Still smaller events and markets persist where possible including El Mercadito in Spokane which will remain open though scaled down. Some organizers hope that by keeping these smaller traditions alive they can preserve culture even as the larger celebrations vanish.

This wave of cancellations raises larger questions about what happens when cultural life retreats in the face of policy and enforcement. Traditions are among the first casualties when fear takes root. For families that have long passed down folklorico story food and dance these cancellations represent loss not just of a single event but of community cohesion.

In the weeks to come the question remains whether next year will bring new courage or whether organizers and community members will stay in retreat. For now the silences where there used to be music are loud. For many Latino communities in the Northwest Hispanic Heritage Month still looms as symbol but its traditional expressions are fading. The cost of holding public space is high when security feels uncertain.