LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — This Hispanic Heritage Month, we're highlighting a tradition that's a rite of passage in Mexican culture, and how the City of Las Vegas is helping some local families celebrate.
A quinceañera is a celebration of a girl's 15th birthday, marking her transition to womanhood. Those parties can get pricey, so the City of Las Vegas is stepping up to help. It invited local teens ages 14 to 16 to apply for a chance to win a free, joint community quinceañera.
Meet one of this year's winners!
Kamilah Estrellado was one of 12 winners randomly selected this year from 171 submissions, a city spokesperson tells Channel 13.
Kamilah tells us, she wasn't just shocked to find out she won — but that she'd been in the running at all! She said her mother applied on her behalf without telling her and surprised her with the news that she'd won.
"So excited for this milestone and I'm particularly excited about being able to share it with my whole family and my community," Kamilah said.
"It's very important for me, because it's a reminder that my quinceañera isn't just a party, but it's a rite of passage and it reminds me of how many blessings I have to be given this opportunity," Kamilah went on to say.
There's a lot of preparation before the big day, from dance practice to picking out the perfect outfit.
"We're getting my hair done, the makeup, we have the dress, the shoes, the crown, so excited to wear it," Kamilah said.
Growing up, Kamilah said she always knew her dress would be pink. It's the color her mother and her grandmother wore at their quinceañeras.
"This event is truly one of the milestones for Hispanic women. I remember when I was young and my mom so graciously prepped mine in less than a month," said Karen Estrellado, Kamilah's mother. "It's just the dancing and the music, it's just that opportunity to show the community, to show your family, to show your friends that you're stepping from a child to young adulthood, and that's just amazing."
Now that it's Kamilah's turn to celebrate this milestone, it's an emotional — and proud — moment for her mother.
"It's bittersweet. It's such a privilege to be able to watch your child grow up," Karen said.
"It's just been amazing and emotional to see her grow up and taking all these different stepping stones to reach her goals. Like I said, the quinceañera is not just a party, it's a milestone for the family, as well as honoring her beliefs, her culture, her tradition," Karen went on to say.
Karen Estrellado added, the City of Las Vegas taking on the financial burden of hosting the quinceañera has been helpful.
"With the City of Las Vegas, because they are offering practically everything, it has been so amazing. That has given us the chance to go and do things for her that perhaps maybe we couldn't have done it before. So she was able to get whatever dress she wanted, so that was super exciting," Karen said.
The community quinceañera is being held Saturday, Oct. 11 at the East Las Vegas Community Center, complete with a mariachi performance, a DJ, dancing, and dinner for 12 friends or family members of each winner. This is the fourth time the City of Las Vegas has done this initiative.
"Each year, we host 'Once Upon a Quince' as an initiative during Hispanic Heritage Month. This event is dedicated to giving 12 girls an opportunity they may not have had otherwise. We understand that quinceañeras can be very costly, so through this event, our goal is to give these young ladies their dream night without the expense," a city spokesperson told Channel 13.