By Milo Marquez
Posted August 14, 2025
On Saturday, August 9, 2025, families, friends, and longtime residents reunited at Mestizo Curtis Park for the 4th Annual Eastside Family Reunion, a vibrant day of celebration, remembrance, and unity. The gathering honored the deep-rooted history of the Chicano and Latino communities who called Denver’s Eastside home for over a century, long before gentrification began to reshape the neighborhood.
Mestizo Curtis Park: A Historic Gathering Place
Situated in the heart of Denver’s historic Five Points and Curtis Park neighborhoods, Mestizo Curtis Park has always been more than a recreational space. For generations, it served as a cultural and political hub, a place where Chicano and Latino families built lives, found community, and organized for justice.
Before waves of gentrification displaced many longtime residents, the neighborhood was vibrant with culture. Families gathered in the park on weekends, children swam in the swimming pool, played on the soccer and football fields, and murals reflected both the struggles and pride of the community. The park served as a space for celebration, resistance, and the preservation of identity.
For many, it was also where major community milestones happened, cultural events, protest rallies, and countless Sunday cookouts. The park became a living archive of Eastside culture, where memories were made and values were passed down.
A Community Displaced, but Never Erased
Throughout the 20th century, Curtis Park stood as a beacon of Chicano identity and Latino solidarity. Despite facing redlining, police brutality, and systemic disinvestment, residents responded with powerful grassroots organizing, mutual aid, and cultural expression.
In the early 2000s and 2010s, the forces of gentrification intensified. Housing prices soared, and many multigenerational families were pushed out of the area they helped build. Yet, the spirit of the Eastside, and of Mestizo Curtis Park, remained strong. The Eastside Family Reunion was a testament to that resilience: even in displacement, the community’s roots remain deeply planted.
A Day of Celebration and Connection
This year’s reunion featured a BBQ and potluck, music by DJ Jayluv, performances by Denver’s original Aztec dance group, ColorAztlan, and the No Mo Violence Dance Group.
The day also featured powerful speeches from respected community leaders who have long been at the forefront of preserving Chicano and Latino history in the neighborhood.
- Deb Sena spoke on the importance of reclaiming community spaces, reminding attendees that “our stores are the foundation of this city, and they must be told in our voices.”
- Nita Gonzales inspired the crowd with reflections on the Chicano Movement, urging unity across generations. “We cannot build the future if we forget our past, and we cannot honor our past without lifting the next generation.”
- Aurelio Martínez called for continued advocacy and cultural pride, telling the crowd, “We have survived because we have each other. That same spirit will carry us forward.”
Setup began at 12:00 p.m., and by late afternoon, the park was filled with laughter, music, and the aromas of homemade food, green chilies, tamales, and grilling. People embraced each other like family, whether they had seen each other just the week before or not in decades. It was a multigenerational gathering, grounded in joy, memory, and a sense of belonging. A revival of the camaraderie that once defined everyday life in the Eastside.
Preserving History Through Community
The reunion was made possible by the Mestizo Park Committee, a grassroots organization dedicated to preserving and promoting the cultural heritage of the neighborhood. Through their work, they ensure that the stories, contributions, and presence of Chicano and Latino communities in Denver are not forgotten but honored.
As the sun set on the gathering, one truth was clear: the Eastside Family Reunion is far more than a festive event. It is an act of cultural remembrance, resistance, and love. It is a powerful reminder that, while the landscape may have changed, the soul of our community remains unchanged.
Milo Marquez is a fifth-generation East Denver resident dedicated to advancing equity and opportunity in his community. He serves as the Director of the Latino Research and Policy Center at the University of Colorado Denver, where he leads initiatives to address education and social disparities. In addition, Milo is the Chair of the Latino Education Coalition, advocating for policies and programs that improve educational outcomes for Latino students in public schools.
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