Colorado Springs is the destination for hundreds of motorcyclists
By LA CUCARACHA
TAVA CITY — The stunning natural scenery, especially Garden of the Gods and Pikes Peak, is the backdrop for the third annual El Mariachi Vicla Run scheduled to take place Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025.
This year’s El Mariachi Vicla Run begins at 8:00 am, at Pikes Peak Harley Davidson. The registration fee is $28 per person and a passenger is $5. Participants can register online. This year’s scholarship recipients will be announced.
There will be vendors including food for the participants to enjoy before the vicla procession. Throughout the day there will be 50/50’s, silent auctions, apparel, and merchandise sales. This is a poker run to win $500.
Before the procession begins, Deacon Ernie Romero will bless the viclas. Kick stands up at 10:00 am, riders will proceed in a procession down Nevada Avenue to America the Beautiful Park for the annual group photo. After the photo, the other stops are at • 11:30 a.m., Time Out Sports Bar; • 12:30 p.m., Ruffano’s Hell’s Kitchen; • 1:30 p.m., Eagles; • 2:30 p.m. Return to Pikes Peak Harley Davidson. The events continuing at PPHD, DJ Hito Love will be spinning the tunes throughout the day. Entertainment lineup is at • 1:00 p.m., El Azteca Grupo Xochitl; • 2:00 p.m., Mariachi Lobos; • 3:00 p.m., Ballet Folklorico de Barajas; 4:00 p.m., • Altitude Sickness Band; • 5:00 p.m., Mirage Band; • 6:00 p.m., Legacy Band to end the evening.
Vicla is a Chicano-style motorcycle and Tava (City) is the Ute peoples’ name for Colorado Springs, according to “The Flow of the River” article written by Jon Huang and mural and sculptor artist Manual Pulido.
In 2023, After attending Isaiah Vialpando Memorial Vicla Run organized by Robert Cordova in Pueblo, Gene Sanchez was inspired to create a run in Colorado Springs. The two had met a couple of years earlier and became camaradas with a shared interest in promoting the culture, religion, and mestizo ways.
They formed a committee that included themselves, Al Cordova, Michelle Maestas, Michael Martinez, and Carlo Vialpando. “We were on our way to creating a Firme Volo in Colorado Springs or as we call it Tava City,” Robert Cordova remembered. “
Sanchez and the committee members agreed to honor Isaiah, a professional mariachi musician murdered in 2015 in Pueblo by naming the event, “El Mariachi Vicla Run.” Months later, additional committee members were added, including Leliani Garcia, Whitney Jacobson, Roger Mondragon, and Desire Vialpando.
Two nonprofit organizations — the Hispanic Education Foundation and Esperanza Foundation merged to form EL FAE (Foundation for Advancement and Education). Like Pueblo, everything is run through the nonprofit, meaning no one is being paid, and all proceeds go towards education for our future leaders.
The committee was excited to display vicla culture in Colorado Springs. Michelle Maestas, employed at the Pikes Peak Harley Davidson, pitched the Mariachi Vicla Run to General Manager Gil Velarde, He was excited to create this cultural event displaying the Latino culture. He has several events throughout the year, and this one is becoming one of the largest.
Original members, Al Cordova, Carlos Vialpando, and Mike Martinez, natives of Tava City. are proud of where they grew up. After they attended the Isaiah Vialpando Memorial Scholarship Run for years in Pueblo and Albuquerque, N.M., they wanted to promote its estilo in Colorado Springs.
They had never seen a large procession of hundreds viclas cruising down Nevada Avenue. They all agreed it was pride in our culture making this event one of a kind in Tava City. The larger purpose of funding educational opportunities for our future leaders. To honor Isaiah, Maldonado created an altar or ofrenda at Pikes Peak Harley Davidson during the event. An ofrenda is a alter honoring the dead that is a Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) tradition. He displayed names, photos and memorabilia of family members and motorcycle riders who have passed.
Inspired by Isaiah’s Memorial Run, Sanchez sees the vicla runs as a tool to for our raza to come together for a greater cause and to give back to our communities. At a scholarship ceremony held at El Pomar, for the La Vicla Run De Tava City, he said, “Isaiah is our son now and we all call him mijo out of love and respect to the Cordova and Vialpando families. This event has been and will always be about our faith in our Lord.”
The first year of the El Mariachi Vicla Run in 2023 was a tremendous success. There were over four hundred viclas in attendance and the foundation was able to award 10 educational $1,000 scholarships. There was entertainment, live bands, a mobile tattoo truck, Mariachi Diamante De Pueblo, and DJ Hito Love spinning the tunes ‘til the end of the event.
The second year in 2024, was another successful event. There were hundreds in attendance, raising thousands. There was entertainment, folklorico dancers, Mariachi Lobos, Azteca Grupo Xochitl Ceremony, Live bands, DJ Hito Love spinning the tunes during the day. The first year Isaiah Vialpando was honored and the group has continued the event to raise funds for our future leaders from El Paso and Teller Counties. Special thanks to Good Times and Viejitos Car Clubs for leading the procession and their continued commitment to this event.
The committee is estimating this year is going to be the biggest event to date. They are expecting close to a thousand viclas in attendance. They have doubled the number of vendors to 20-plus including food truck vendors. They emphasis this is a spiritual event displaying the amazing history of our Indigenous and Chicano history. For information about this event and the scholarships, please go to the El Maraichi Vicla Run Tava City and the Foundation for Advancement and Education Facebook.