West Fest to combine fun, civic activity
The West Central Community Development Group will be hosting their annual Route 66 West Fest/Think Big event today from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the northwest corner of Central and Unser to gather input from the community on how the area can be improved.
The event is free and will include various forms of entertainment, including amateur boxing put on by Chavez Promotions, a car show organized by La Familia Car Club, and performances by singers Gonzalo
and Ana Maria.
Food from two local vendors, El Paisa Express and Gorditas estilo Durango, will be for sale, said Jerry Gallegos, the West Central group’s community liaison.
The event is meant to be a good time, but one of its main purposes is to gather information on how to make the community better.
“It’s a community meeting disguised as a fiesta,” said City Councilor Klarissa Peña, who will attend. “It’s to get feedback from people who wouldn’t normally go to meetings.”
The West Central group is a volunteer organization whose goal is to promote economic and retail development on the West Side. They are putting West Fest on in conjunction with the Southwest Alliance of Neighbors and the McCune Charitable Foundation with funding from the City of Albuquerque, said Gallegos.
In order to get public input on local issues, attendees will be asked to take a survey for the chance to win a free iPad. Gallegos said people must be present at the event to win the iPad, but can still take the survey if they wish by emailing him at jgallegos@wccdg.org.
Nine recipients of Community Champion Awards will also be announced during the event to thank them for work they have done in the community. Gallegos hopes the event will encourage more such action.
“Our main goal is to entice people to get involved with their community,” he said.