Eddie Box Jr. and Betty Box pass out $1 coins to children along the parade route at the San Ignacio Fiesta on Saturday in Ignacio. Not only are they dressed as Mickey and Minnie Mouse, they decorated their vehicle with mouse faces.
Eddie Box Jr. and Betty Box pass out $1 coins to children along the parade route at the San Ignacio Fiesta on Saturday in Ignacio. Not only are they dressed as Mickey and Minnie Mouse, they decorated their vehicle with mouse faces.Melanie Brubaker Mazur/Pine River Times

“Fiesta is about bringing lots of different people together,” said Selina Gallero, who leads a small army of volunteers who organize the annual celebration in Ignacio.

The festival is also a time for family reunions, class reunions and seeing old friends who have returned to town for the event.

Fiesta events continue Saturday night with a dance at Sky Ute Casino and a Mass on Sunday morning at St. Ignatius, which will be followed by the Fiesta dinner and raffle.

Farmers Fresh Market held its second annual brisket cook-off this year, with people devouring 500 pounds of brisket in a little more an hour. Last year, for the first event, 260 pounds of brisket were smoked, said Amos Lee, manager of the Ignacio market. The nine cooks also smoked 200 pounds of chicken. Lee said he’ll increase next year’s quantities in an effort to have the cook-off last longer than an hour.

“It seems pretty popular,” he said.

A salsa contest at Ignacio ELHI also drew lots of onlookers.