Chicano Fest 3 returns to Southwest Detroit for another good time. The music, the food, and the Chicano culture were on full display. If you missed it, read about it now.
Welcome back to the ROX-TV website. As always, we thank the returning readers and say hello to any first timers. This is a dope space that is open to all, so feel free to kick your feet up. If you’re in Michigan, then you’ve already got a taste for the colder weather. It’s not here completely, but you could say the shit is in the mail. I’ve lived my entire life in Michigan, and it really is the best of all worlds. We’ve got the four seasons man…which means we can rock lots of different styles throughout the year.
I dig the t-shirt summers, the hoodie fall, the winter gear mob up, and Spring’s very own…. well, ok…so maybe we only have three fashion seasons but that’s better than two and a hell of a lot better than one. It can always be worse my friends. Look on the bright side whenever you can…because your mind is powerful and can shape your perspective. A glass of Faygo or Mickey’s should be half full always. Let someone else be bummed out. Let someone else slow themselves down. Anyway, the seasons are changing, and Halloween is slowly approaching. The air is electric and I can feel the turn. Not only does this type of weather make for a cool day, it also was the perfect backdrop at the Chicano Fest 3. Not too hot, not too cold, a little breeze, and plenty of cloud cover. I could not have picked a better weather pattern.
“It was a beautiful thing”
As everyone that frequents the ROX-TV website knows, we have a special status for the Chicano Fest. I believe that honoring the past and everything that came before is the only way to be. Anything that helps people connect with who they are, gives them pride, and fosters the community spirit is alright in my book. I mean if you can’t get behind a feel good cause like Chicano Fest, I don’t want to know you. Southwest Detroit is a very special place and it is home to probably the largest population of Chicanos and Chicanas in the state of Michigan. These brothers and sisters have made the place home, bringing their culture with them from where they had been. It’s the story of America you know. The continuous entrance of the new faces, looking for a better life. Remember…the next time you get down on how shitty it is here in the United States, look the fuck around. People from all over the world are dying to come here, to taste our way. Why? Probably because we have one hell of a standard of living, that most people around the world simply do not enjoy. It has taken me most of my life to process 
that information but better late than never. I’ve learned that everyone is on their own timeline, so I no longer accept getting frustrated by things I don’t understand. To each their own. Amen. The good news is that the minute you don’t like something, you can move on. If people don’t like the articles, that’s ok. Everyone in America has the option to say no thanks. Now imagine if the first reaction to something we didn’t like was no thanks, instead of “fuck that”. I think we would be bumping a much higher frequency, vibration, and energy level. There is room for everyone. America is a big place. I say we welcome whoever is brave enough to make the journey with open arms. And remember, there is a great chance that your own story is similar in historical context. Everyone in the USA came from somewhere else. So, in a way, the place belongs to us all.
“We could make it a party or turn it into a dust cloud”
I like to party, I’m a party person…so you know where I’m gonna fall every time. When the world comes to an end, I will be on the edge of the beach smoking dope and drinking beer with all the other party people. Our tribe is strong and when this shit sandwich finally falls apart…we will still be getting it in. I guess if I was on the Titanic, you could call me Charles John Joughin. The chef who survived the frigid waters because he had consumed so much alcohol. He was the last man in the water and stepped off the Titanic like an elevator as she went under for all time. It’s kind of like that. Watch the episode on “Drunk History” and be amazed. So anyways, yeah…Chicano Fest 3 had come to Southwest Detroit and it was a perfect day.
The community really turned out for the event and so did the vendors. The official start time was noon, but by then the good times were already echoing throughout the neighborhood. The festival founders Rudy, Carlito, and Santana Hill were all on hand to usher in another year of celebration. The Cruisin The Barrio familia teamed up with the Congress of Communities (which does wonderful work in Southwest Detroit, not only for the children but also the adults). It’s really neat to see the evolution of Chicano Fest and I can say that because I’ve been to all three of them now and each year it gets bigger and better. The Rude Boy has really put together something in Southwest Detroit and his family should be proud. There is no greater cause and I truly believe that. Investing in the future is the only way to get to the future. The Juggalos also turned up to support the event. Klokwerk E was in the house and the one and only Jumpsteady was also on hand for the event. Psychopathic Records and Southwest Detroit go back a long way, so to have Jumpsteady in the zone was pretty cool.
The event carried on throughout the day and was filled with smiling faces, music, and wonderful ethnic food. I’m dirty Irish, so I don’t get out much in the food department. Give me a fucking potato and some weed…and I’m mostly good. But when you are in Rome my friends, you have to pull up your sleeves and get involved. I wandered over to the many options…but settled on some marinated pork and chicken tacos. I’m sure there is a real name, but I can’t remember what the hell it was. It doesn’t matter though because the food was dynamite (thank you Jimmie Walker…Good Times). There were lowriders at the event, hitting the switches and making the cars hop. It was pretty fresh. Between the Modelo, the smoke, the OG’s from the neighborhood, the food, and the people…everyone managed to have a great time. I was introduced to an elder of the Chicano community while there, and she talked to me about the Brown Berets in Detroit. She had been a member and even brought up her old patches from her time as a member. There was a radical “Brown Pride” oval patch and also the insignia they wore as well. I was looking at priceless Chicano/Chicana artifacts and the moment was not lost on me. It was an honor to meet someone who had walked with Cesar Chavez and for that…I thank you. I love to touch history.
As the day slowly passed into the evening, the festivities never let up. The good energy continued to hang in the air and everyone really enjoyed themselves. Even the Detroit Police Department had a good time, they were hanging out by the lowriders and also being part of the community. ”
“Nobody was wasting nobody and that’s the way things ought to be”
Signing Off,
Mike Shepard
ROX-TV
(Author’s Note: My piece of shit phone finally died at the event, so all the pictures you see were sent by Steven Foster. I appreciate it very much. I had taken pictures up until the awards ceremony, but that was when things went south. I had about three hundred images, but what can you do? Shit happens, even to shit birds…why am I any different? Sometimes things just do what they do. Also, if you are trying to get at me, I have not replaced it yet. I’m a stoner and this could take weeks. It will give me something to write about. I don’t like phones that much anyway; all they do is steal your time)
And a special shout out to the Juggalos from Ohio. They are always down to get out and support the scene and for that I would like to thank them. Ohio is a Juggalo state in every sense of the word. The Juggalos are everywhere!
