City formalizes Fiesta Patrias production agreement with Aurora Exposition (AKA)

The Committee of the Whole reviewed and moved to place on consent a production agreement with the Aurora Metropolitan Exposition Auditorium & Office Building Authority (AKA) for the 2026 Fiesta Patrias festival.

Tony Martinez, the city's chief communications and marketing officer, said AKA has been the de facto production partner since 2023, fronting deposits, vendor contracts and labor. "AKA does not profit from this event; after a closeout true-up the net proceeds fund a scholarship program at the Community Foundation for the Hispanic Heritage Advisory Board," Martinez said. He described direct labor line items (stagehands, gate staff, box office, backstage staff) and a management fee included in the contract to cover administration and pre-event planning.

Martinez said Fiesta Patrias draws more than 15,000 attendees over two days and that entertainment costs typically run in the $200,000'$250,000 range. Ticketing and concessions revenue are processed through AKA's systems; after reconciliation, net proceeds have supported roughly $60,000 in scholarships annually in recent years. Martinez said the Hispanic Heritage Advisory Board and AKA reviewed the contract and that scholarship recipient lists are public and published each June by the Community Foundation.

Council members asked for transparency on scholarship reporting; Martinez said the recipient list and award details are public on the foundation's site and staff will provide reports to council as requested. The Committee added the contract to the consent agenda.