This Sol del Valle story was translated for English readers.
A celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month returned to the Valley for its fifth consecutive year,
this time at the Hotel Colorado. Mariscal LLC, along with Alpine Bank, Gould Construction, First Bank, Hotel Colorado, Garfield County Public Library District and other sponsors brought this edition to life under the theme “Cimientos de Montaña” (“Mountain Foundations”).
The event brought together more than 80 business owners and their guests. The idea to celebrate Latino entrepreneurs and recognize the pioneers who shaped the region surfaced over a cup of coffee between Crystal Mariscal, founder of Mariscal LLC, and her friend, Janeth Stancle.
“It was a time when our community was very divided, and the purpose back then was unity and celebrating our roots,” Mariscal recalled. From that impromptu conversation emerged an event that has become an annual tradition, bringing together a diverse array of leaders and pioneers in the Valley.
Mariscal shared that she continues to create these spaces as a way to honor her güelito (grandfather), Eluterio Mariscal, who she described as a sociable and kind person. Her way of keeping his legacy alive has been to recognize the impact of local entrepreneurs.
“I want to hear our stories and honor them,” she said. “We have so much potential, yet we often end up bringing things from elsewhere.”
This year, “Cimientos de Montaña” honored four Roaring Fork Valley businesses that were among the first Latino-owned to offer services to the community: La Perla Fashion, El Korita Restaurant, Taquería El Nopal and Tortillería La Roca.
Tomasa and Abelardo Quintero, owners of La Perla in Carbondale, celebrated 30 years of being in business. The family reflected on the challenges and freedoms that come with entrepreneurship.
“Even though businesses have ups and downs, you have to keep moving forward with faith and hard work,” said Tomasa.
Beto Gamboa, Lupe Montoya and Evelia Montoya, owners of El Korita Restaurant, which has served the community for 27 years, were also recognized. Evelia shared that despite the challenges, “the secret has been honesty, respect and humility.” She also quoted a popular saying: “If you own a store, take care of it; and if not, sell it.” In Spanish, “¡El que tiene tienda que la atienda, y si no que la venda!”
The third recognition of the night went to Israel and Elida Argueta, owners of Taquería El Nopal, which has been serving flavorful dishes for 32 years. Accompanied by his sister-in-law, Alma Alvarado, who attended on behalf of Elida, Israel shared that El Nopal was born from his dream of wanting to stay in this country.
“Sometimes we miss out on many things because we’re tending to the business, but thanks to our workers and customers, the taquería has endured,” he stated. He then offered some advice to new entrepreneurs: “Know what you want to do, study the market and be willing to do what needs to be done.”
The final honorees of the evening were Manuel and Mayet Ruiz, owners of Tortillería La Roca, who have been neighbors of the Quinteros for 26 years. Manuel recalled arriving in the United States at the age of 5 and thanked his father for teaching him to “walk with his head held high” and not let opportunities pass by.
“Thank God. It’s always been a blessing up to this day,” he said. “I’ve always been surrounded by good workers and good people.”
During the evening, Samuel Bernal, La Tricolor Radio’s station manager, shared an inspiring video highlighting the connection and strength of Latinos in the Valley.
“From the beginning, people came to these valleys drawn by their beauty and the promise of fortune,” he narrated. “Today, we want to recognize those brave and visionary adventurers — entrepreneurs, merchants — whose dreams build entire towns, whose work feeds thousands of families, whose creativity fills the mountain slopes and peaks with color and culture.”
He concluded, “We are the new river of abundance.”
MC Carlos Cornejo also offered a reflection: “Someone can steal everything material from you, but not what you carry in your heart.”
Bernal closed the presentation with a phrase that resonated deeply with the audience: “There was a time when people came in search of gold, but now the gold is our people.”
Mariscal LLC invites entrepreneurs, business owners and merchants interested in participating in future iterations of this event to contact crystal@mariscalllc.com