Jason WhitacrePerformers could not be swept away by blustering winds when Boca de Oro, a culture and arts festival, returned on Saturday in Santa Ana to celebrate its 10th anniversary. As the community focused their attention on the performers, they were faced with the encroaching reality of our wider world.
In the early evening, a group of anti-war protestors marched down Fourth Street near the end of the event, followed by a larger group of pro-Trump, pro-war counter-protestors, who were seen banging on cars and shouting into windows.
Boca de Oro, translated as “Mouth of Gold”, themed its anniversary as a creative renaissance, and no organization could represent that better than the Santa Ana Unified School District. With events spreading over two blocks and three stages, students presented a full afternoon of tirelessly prepared art for their communities.
Preparations were underway for a performance at the Calle Cuatro Stage, only a few feet from the demonstrations. Parents filmed their young performers with cell phones and while keeping attention on the value of their community, which the event continued to foster, the families managed to successfully defy the interruption.
“I believe we have a duty to continue to celebrate our families, our immigrant families, and mixed-status families,” said Katelyn Brazer Aceves, SAUSD Board of Education President. “We have to create and hold these spaces for them to come together and have experiences of joy, but always respect that it’s going to be an individualized decision.”
Despite the weather, Boca de Oro would breathe life into the air at 11 a.m. on the Yost Stage, hosting instrumental and orchestral music.
“Today, downtown Santa Ana has become a living stage filled with music, dance, theater, film, poetry, and art. Not just as entertainment, but a culture of learning and joy,” said Yost Stage host Jade Li in her opening address. “Boca de Oro belongs to us all.”
Over on French Street, the Calle Cuatro Stage focused on vocal choirs and musical theater, primarily from elementary-aged students. While the French Street Stage, nestled in the alley a few yards away, showcased dance, modern band and mariachi performances.
Community strength and arts education were in strong focus throughout the day. However, concerns were in the air about attendance following strong ICE activity in 2025, alleviated by dedicated support from the SAUSD and the Santa Ana community.
“Boca de Oro is a beautiful display of who our community is. It allows the roots, culture, traditions, and talents of our families and the students they entrust to us at SAUSD to shine,” Brazer Aceves concluded. “To be on stage in front of their community and to know their voice, art, and talent are seen. That their stories matter, and that we’re watching.”
Festivities in the early evening began with Century High School closing the French Street Stage with a stunning mariachi performance at 4 p.m. Concurrently, the Calle Cuatro stage saw Heninger Elementary with vocal music and an exciting stomp-style performance, also known as a zapateado in Spanish, from two rows of students who harangued paint buckets in coordinated rhythm.
Boca de Oro is scheduled for the first week of March every year and will return in 2027.
