Fiesta Del Sol is a free four-day family friendly Mexican festival in the heart of one of Chicago’s most attractive communities – Pilsen. This event spans an eight-block space down Cermak Road and can be seen from miles around because of the carnival’s Ferris Wheel and the bright lights of over 100 booths showcasing some of the best tacos, tamales and tostadas in town. It draws over one million people and has become a major economic engine for local businesses. Well known artists, as well as up and coming talent, perform on our two stages. Don’t miss out on any of the fun for the whole family!
Community Organizing:
Pilsen Neighbor’s Community Council (PNCC) is a non-profit, community-based organization (1954) whose mission is to work to establish policies and practices in the Pilsen and Southwest areas of Chicago around the needs of the community.PNCC invests in the development of new community leaders through leadership training to bring about civic engagement and action.
PNCC works on issues such as economic development, education funding, universal health care, immigration reform, and workforce development. PNCC has been historically instrumental in organizing parents to upgrade school buildings, as well as building new schools to end overcrowding. PNCC is set to celebrate its 12th Annual Pilsen Education Summit. In addition, PNCC has seen increasing momentum in leader involvement while organizing Early Childhood Education and the University Round Table in their efforts to create change.
PNCC is part of Gamaliel of Metro Chicago and Gamaliel of Illinois, affiliates of an international organization, the Gamaliel Network, a grassroots network of non-partisan, faith-based organizations in 17 U.S. states, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. Gamaliel organizes and empowers ordinary people to effectively participate in the political, environmental, social, and economic decisions affecting their lives.
Guadalupe A. Reyes, Fiesta del Sol Scholarship:
The scholarship has celebrated over a decade of awarding scholarships to students all over the city. Fiesta del Sol has given over $700,000 in scholarships to more than 450 students.
University Round Table:
The University Round Table (URT) consists of a strong partnership with colleges and universities in order to bridge the education gap for minority and underrepresented students. The URT helps raise scholarships through the Guadalupe A. Reyes Fiesta del Sol scholarship program and attend our annual College Day (July 27) at Fiesta del Sol.
College Day:
Over 20 colleges and universities both public and private provide valuable information to local college-bound students and their parents.
Schools Expo:
14 or 15 schools who provide community members with information about what to expect for the following school year.
Voter Registration:
Deputizing over 75 people to handle voter registration for people within our community and communities throughout the city of Chicago.
Expungement:
Pilsen Neighbors Community Council (PNCC) hosted its 2nd annual expungement workshop on Saturday, July 29 during its 45th Annual Fiesta del Sol at Benito Juarez Community Academy. Volunteer attorneys were on-site to assist with adult felony and misdemeanor expungement, sealing, and clemency applications.
Pilsen Education Summit:
The Pilsen Education Summit is organized by the Pilsen Education Task Force (PETF) and the Pilsen Neighbors Community Council. The purpose of the summit is to create a path of education from birth through college, and make participants aware of the educational resources available in their communities. This year’s summit marked its 12th annual anniversary with a focus on mental health services.
Fiesta Del Sol is the primary fundraiser for Pilsen Neighbors Community Council, a non-profit, community based organization. Our mission is to develop new community leaders through leadership training to bring about civic engagement and action in Pilsen and the southwest areas of Chicago.
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