Chants, prayers, and music filled the air Sunday morning as community members gathered along a parade route near Highway 166 to Nipomo for the fifth annual celebration honoring Our Lady of Guadalupe, a tradition deeply rooted in Mexican culture and faith.
Families walked alongside horses and floats, moving together in a procession that organizers say continues to grow each year. The event brought together people of all ages, many traveling as a group toward St. Joseph Catholic Church, where the celebration continued.
“This is our fifth year doing this event,” said Adeline Hernandez, the event’s coordinator. “It is an honor procession for the apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe. She is the queen of the Americas, and this is a Mexican tradition that we want to bring to the United States, to our community.”
The tradition dates back to December 12, 1531, when the Virgin of Guadalupe is said to have appeared to Juan Diego, an Indigenous man later named a saint. According to Catholic tradition, the Virgin left her image on Juan Diego’s cloak, a story that has been celebrated in Mexican culture ever since.
For many participants, the procession is about faith and togetherness.
“Hoy nos reúne la fe que tenemos en nuestra Madre Santísima y en nuestro Padre Celestial. Eso es lo que nos reúne especialmente,” said Jose “Mundo” Garcia-Diaz, a parade-goer.
"Today, we are brought together by the faith we have in our most holy mother and in our heavenly father. That is what brings us together, especially."
The event also required months of preparation. Hernandez said organizers worked closely with local agencies to make the procession possible along local roadways.
“We’ve coordinated with the County of San Luis Obispo and Caltrans and Highway Patrol, and we came to an agreement that we could close it on Sunday when there’s the least amount of traffic,” Hernandez said.
Participants described the procession as a moment of gratitude and reflection.
“El amor compartido entre toda esta gente para mí es lo que representa el amor que hay en nuestra comunidad y en nuestra humanidad,” said Angelita Garcia-Diaz, another parade-goer.
“The shared love among all these people, for me, is what represents the love that exists in our community and in our humanity.”
Organizers say the annual event is meant to keep the tradition alive and pass it on to future generations.
