Folklore is a Festival, held each fall and currently in its sixth year. Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month each year, Luis and a band of volunteers organize a reason to celebrate – complete with food, music, entertainment, artists, athletes, fellowship, and a lot of storytelling. It also serves as a launching platform for the annual Folklore Small Business Grant Program. (This year’s event was held on September 24th.)
Yes, Folklore is not just a fun get-together, but it is also a grant program for small businesses in the Latino community, and is currently in its fifth year. While a community gathering is great, and it has grown every year and is enjoyed by all who attend, Luis wanted to create a more meaningful way to engage with his Latino friends, neighbors, and businesses. The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Wells Fargo, and Fresco Marketing have partnered to take this celebration a step further and create a greater impact within the community. The Folklore Small Business Grant Program was created. At each Folklore Festival, the applications are formally opened to anyone who wants to apply for small business assistance. A committee then reviews the applications (more than 100 in 2025), and announcements of the winners are made in either December or January. Luis’ favorite part is surprising the winners with a giant check at their place of business!
Why is all of this so important to the former soccer player and coach originally hailing from Mexico? Luis said, “Customs and traditions pass down through generations in a community. In Kansas City, there is a very large and active Latino community whose civic and cultural contributions are felt every day. But, I thought there needed to be something more concrete to allow the community to gather and celebrate, and also to promote small businesses. We are helping create the conduit for stories and customs to be shared with all generations. And, we are helping small Latino businesses get their footing in a very challenging economy.” Luis continued, “The small business is at the heart of any community. We need to take the time to celebrate wins, large and small.”
It appears that the wins are quite large, indeed. Folklore Grants made to small businesses have totaled $400,000 so far, and another 10 grants for $10,000 each will be awarded at the end of this year. Not only has Luis had an impact on the young, underserved Latino soccer players he has coached, he has had a half-a-million-dollar impact on the Kansas City community, at its roots. Lest we ever doubt the effects that the work of one person can have on an entire city, we will think of Luis and Folklore.
As if all of that weren’t enough, the ticket prices paid for attending the Folklore Festival are then donated to various local students for scholarships.
The traditional folklore in any group of people includes stories of generations who have gone before us, telling of their sacrifices and their contributions. The success of our future Kansas City Latino community will owe some remarkable stories around a proverbial kitchen table harkening back to Luis and his dedication to his corner of the world.
Besides his marketing company, and his involvement in Folklore, Luis continues to be involved in the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Greater Kansas City and Mattie Rhodes Center. For the Chamber, he launched a platform during COVID-19 called ActivoKC, focused on keeping the Latino community informed and safe during the pandemic. For Mattie Rhodes Center, he helped with their rebranding during their 130th anniversary. Mattie Rhodes addresses our community’s social determinants of health by providing programs that build social cohesion, promote economic stability, and develop access to education, healthcare, and affordable housing.
These are the acts of a community-minded individual who has adopted Kansas City and the Hispanic community here as his own. He is creating his own folklore and providing a template for others who wish to do something similar.
Many of our local cultural experiences are richer and brighter with Luis’ influence through his initiatives and his thoughtful guidance for youth and adults alike. From his arrival in Our Town in 2007 as a young soccer player, to winning the U.S. Youth Soccer Boys National Coach of the Year in 2018, to founding Fresco Marketing also in 2018, Luis has – and continues to – make his mark on our fair city, and we are fortunate to have this astute and resourceful ally working for the betterment of our local community. Visit frescomktg.com for more information.
The winners of a Folklore Grant In the last two years:
2024: Wrap-up Tex Mex, ParaMi, Quality Framing Service, Pinches Tacos, Third Place Lounge, A&J Molcajete, Marquez Boots, Aurora Cafe & Bakery, Soulmine, Hector’s Auto Repair
2025: Authentic Taste of Jamaica, Red Kitchen KC, Empanada Madness, Weather or Not, KC Ballonshop, Los Hornos, Bloom Flowershop, Giselle’s Boutique, Lilly’s Cantina, Designer Paulina Otero
Featured in the October 3, 2026 issue of The Independent.
By Anne Potter Russ
