Fiesta de Reyes Gala: Celebrating Culture, Community, and the Next Generation

Last month I had the pleasure of attending the Fiesta de Reyes Gala, in Downtown Syracuse. For those who may not be familiar, Fiesta de Reyes translates to The Kings Festival, a celebration of Three Kings Day, which takes place every year on January 6th. In Puerto Rico, this holiday holds deep cultural and spiritual significance. It commemorates the visit of the Three Wise Men to baby Jesus, and it’s traditionally a day centered around family, faith, giving, and community. In Puerto Rican culture, Three Kings Day is often even more anticipated than Christmas itself, filled with parades, music, gifts for children, and a strong sense of heritage and pride.

This beautiful gala was put on by Jesús Rolón, who many in Syracuse already know as the man behind the annual Syracuse Puerto Rican Festival. Jesús explained to me that the Fiesta de Reyes Gala is especially meaningful because it brings the community together and also serves as a scholarship fundraiser. Students submit essays, and those selected are crowned Queen or King at that year’s Puerto Rican Festival. It's an honor that celebrates not just academics, but leadership, culture, and community involvement.

One of my favorite parts of the night was meeting two recent queens: Rebecca, who is now a senior at Le Moyne College, and Alejandra, a sophomore at RIT. Fun fact, they’re actually cousins! They were genuinely some of the sweetest girls, so kind and down-to-earth. At one point, we stepped away from the party to take some photos on the digi camera, and of course… they ate!

I was also able to meet Syracuse City Councilor Rita Paniagua, who was just as warm and welcoming as everyone says. There’s something really special about being In a space where everyone understands the culture, you feel immediately accepted. She spoke to me like we’d already known each other, and I loved that energy. It felt familiar, comforting, and very much rooted in community. I also chatted with her secretary and friend Erick Adame, and got to know a little bit about his story as well. Funny enough, we actually bonded over our former jobs In news!

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The evening included a few heartfelt words from the queens who were present, as well as remarks from Jesús Rolón himself. And then there was the live band, which had everyone up and dancing all night. No hesitation, or warm up needed. Jesus is also a Zumba instructor in his free time so you know he had to pull out some quick choreography LOL.

Also, let’s talk about the food for a second, because wow. I really underestimated the Syracuse Marriott’s ability to cook authentic Puerto Rican food and I shouldn’t have. Everything was so good that I went back for seconds without shame. Lesson learned.

One of the most meaningful moments of the night for me was a conversation I had with Jesús about building community and why it matters so much. We talked about how easy it is to go out, meet amazing people, have a great time, and then… never see them again. No socials exchanged, no numbers saved just a great memory that fades by the next week. So how do we keep bringing these people back together?

The answer we kept coming back to was simple: more meaningful events like this. Spaces that encourage connection, culture, and conversation not just once, but consistently.

The Fiesta de Reyes Gala was a nice light hearted reminder of the importance of tradition, culture, and the beauty of staying connected!