One of the important traditions within the St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church is the selection of the annual Fiesta Queen. When the tradition began many decades ago, there would be a court of young women running for the position. They and their families would work throughout the summer and raise money for the local parish. As the years have gone on, there isn’t always a court of young girls, but the tradition continues.
This year, Chloe Lira, a third grader at Boulder Creek Elementary School in Mesa, has been working with her family to earn the title of 2024 Fiesta Queen. She told her parents that she wanted to run because “I wanted to make my family proud and give back to my community.”
Chloe’s parents are Michael and Gloria Lira; she has two older brothers Matthew and Nathan. They were joined by their extended family hosting fundraisers for the Parish. They hosted a burro sale, rummage sale, brownie sale and currently are hosting a raffle for Apple products.
Chloe enjoys dancing and drawing. She has three pets, a chihuahua named Phoebe, a bulldog named Marley and a bearded dragon named Lizzy. She loves her pets and plans to become a veterinarian when she grows.
“I want to thank my Mom and my Grandma for helping run for Fiesta Queen,” she said.
“It was a fun learning experience,” said Gloria Lira.