A Homecoming on the Mountain: Fiesta Latina Brings Music and Community to the Skyway

By Marie Kennedy, The Mountain Times

Under a bright October sky, Grupo Mparable played on the Skyway’s outdoor stage. The air was just warm enough to enjoy the Skyway Bar and Grill’s expansive patio, where guests listened to the music as people began gathering on the dance floor.

The gathering brought neighbors together for food, music, and a celebration of Latino culture. For Mt. Hood Unida President Cristina Saldivar, it was also a homecoming.

“Seeing the patio full and the dance floor full is exactly what Skyway is about,” said Allison Horner, a Skyway partner. She was especially glad to see community members who don’t come to the restaurant regularly turn out for the event.

The celebration began six years ago as a Mexican Independence Day gathering and has grown into a broader celebration of Latino culture in the Mount Hood area and across Oregon.

Its location added meaning. The Skyway stands where Salazar’s once operated, a place where many Latino residents worked in the 1970s. Many families in the local Latino community trace their roots to Zacatecas, Mexico.

Saldivar said holding the celebration there felt like welcoming the community back to a place tied to its history. At a time when, she said, Latino culture is being targeted and many are facing fear and uncertainty, she wanted to create a space for joy and cultural connection.

“To center our joy and our cultural connection felt like something very special to do as a community,” she said.

Music and food helped bring people together. Saldivar discovered Grupo Mparable through other cultural celebrations, including a Latino graduation at Portland State University and the annual Mariachi Festival in Hillsboro. The band brought a modern sound to traditional songs, keeping the patio lively through the afternoon.

Saldivar’s mother, Maria, is well known in the mountain community for her cooking. She prepared special salsas, while the Skyway team made tacos and served its regular menu. For Saldivar, sharing the kitchen with her mother was another way to make the event a family effort.

The event also brought together families with a long history. Horner and her husband, Jason, have known Saldivar and her family for years. Saldivar once cared for the Horners’ children, and their youngest attended a home preschool run by Saldivar’s sister, who is also named Maria.

“Our personal blending of our family with Maria and Cristina’s family has a long history,” Horner said. “Now our other endeavors being able to cross paths in a personal way was really meaningful.”

Horner said the Skyway had hoped to host an event with Mt. Hood Unida for a long time. She was proud the restaurant could be a place to celebrate the local Latina community.

Saldivar said the Sunday date was chosen with local residents in mind. Held at the tail end of the busy season, the event gave neighbors a chance to reconnect after a chaotic summer of wildfires while supporting local businesses.

Proceeds went to Mt. Hood Unida. The organization thanked Skyway Bar and Grill, Pub 26, Molly O’s Sourdough, Euko Coffee Company, Smoke on the Mountain, Thai on the Mountain, Tree to Table PDX and everyone who attended for their support.

Mt. Hood Unida has submitted a grant application to bring back a similar event during next year’s Latino Heritage Month. Saldivar said the turnout showed there was community support for more opportunities to gather.