Fiesta Youth

10/12/2026

Happy National Chess Day! Play a game with your family today.

10/12/2026

Indigenous Peoples of the Western Hemisphere immediately experienced enslavement and theft of resources by the explorers turned settlers. Colonies created by the Portuguese, Spanish, French, Dutch, and English grew throughout the Americas and increasingly encroached upon Native lives and lands. Warfare, enslavement, and forced relocation disrupted and altered the lives of Indigenous Peoples in the Americas.

Indigenous Peoples are still here. Contemporary Native Americans have led numerous movements to advocate for their own rights.

Native people continue to fight to maintain the integrity and viability of Indigenous societies. American Indian history is one of cultural persistence, creative adaptation, renewal, and resilience.

Native Peoples, students, and allies are responsible for official celebrations of Indigenous Peoples’ Day in such states as Maine, Oregon, Louisiana, New Mexico, Iowa, and Washington, DC. Indigenous Peoples' Day is celebrated on the second Monday of October and recognizes the resilience and diversity of Indigenous Peoples in the United States.

We promote including Indigenous perspectives, like those of the Taíno Peoples, to provide a more complete narrative when teaching about Columbus. We encourage students (and society) to advocate for Indigenous Peoples' Day as a replacement for Columbus Day in their school, (work), city, state, and beyond.

To celebrate those who identify as LGBTQIA+ in the Indigenous community, According to HRC: The Two-Spirit Pride Flag represents Indigenous American people that identify as two-spirit individuals which means falling outside of the male-female binary. The feathers represent masculine and feminine identities. The circle signifies the unification of both identities into a separate gender while the rainbow represents modern q***r identities.
https://www.hrc.org/resources/lgbtq-pride-flags

For more information and the details about the pictures below the two-spirit flag, visit, https://americanindian.si.edu/nk360/about/essential-understandings

For more information about Celebration visit, https://americanindian.si.edu/nk360/informational/columbus-day-myths

(Poster made by Fiesta Youth)

10/12/2026

Free College Application Week is a statewide initiative that helps Texas residents apply to public colleges at no cost.

Created by Senate Bill 2231 during the 89th Texas Legislative Session, all public colleges and universities in Texas are required to waive admission application fees for Texas residents who apply through ApplyTexas to undergraduate programs.

https://www.applytexas.org/

When is it?
In 2026, Free College Application Week is October 12-18, 2026. It is the second full week of October (Monday-Sunday). Upcoming dates are:

2027: October 11–17, 2027
2028: October 9–15, 2028
2029: October 8–14, 2029
Applications must be submitted through ApplyTexas by 11:59 p.m. CDT on the last day of Free College Application Week to qualify. Applications that are started but not submitted before Free College Application Week ends are not eligible.

Who can participate?
All Texas residents applying for undergraduate admission at Texas public institutions through ApplyTexas may participate.

This includes first-time college students and transfer students. For details on residency status, see the Texas Residency Guidelines.

10/11/2026

10/11/2026

National Coming Out Day 2026 is an annual observance dedicated to celebrating and supporting individuals in the LGBTQ+ community as they share their authentic selves with the world. This day aims to raise awareness about the importance of coming out, challenge stereotypes and prejudices, and promote acceptance and inclusion. As National Coming Out Day approaches, let’s explore the significance of this day, when it takes place, how to get involved, its history, and ways to connect with others through hashtags.

National Coming Out Day 2026 is a day of celebration and empowerment for LGBTQ+ individuals and their allies. It encourages people to embrace their true selves and live openly, free from fear and discrimination. This day also provides a platform for LGBTQ+ individuals to share their stories and experiences, helping to break down barriers and foster understanding among the broader community.

National Coming Out Day was founded on October 11, 1988, by Robert Eichberg, a psychologist, and Jean O’Leary, an LGBTQ+ rights activist. It commemorates the anniversary of the National March on Washington for Le***an and Gay Rights, which took place in 1987. The day was established to promote visibility and acceptance for LGBTQ+ individuals and to encourage a more inclusive society.

National Coming Out Day has become an internationally recognized event, fostering a culture of acceptance and support for LGBTQ+ individuals.

Get involved by:
1) Celebrating Openness
2) Sharing Stories
3) Advocating for LGBTQ+ Rights
4) Attending Awareness Events
5) Offering Support
6) Wearing Rainbow Colors
7) Using hashtags such as EqualityForAll SupportLGBTQ

10/10/2026

Come join one of our favorite organizations, PFLAG at their Trunk-Or-Treat event!

10/10/2026

The World Health Organization began officially supporting the observance in the mid-1990s, bringing institutional weight and global reach. In 2013, WHO launched the Mental Health Action Plan 2013–2030, which set clear targets for improving services and reducing the burden of mental illness worldwide. This framework gave World Mental Health Day a strategic context, connecting annual campaigns to long-term policy goals. Themes over the decades have addressed children’s mental health (1997), human rights (1998), depression (2012), su***de prevention (2019), and mental health at work (2024).

The scale of mental health need globally is enormous. According to WHO, approximately 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health condition at some point in their lives. Depression alone affects more than 280 million people worldwide, making it one of the leading causes of disability. The economic impact is equally significant: depression and anxiety cost the global economy an estimated US $1 trillion per year in lost productivity, with roughly 12 billion working days lost annually.

The 2026 theme is “Lived Experiences Heard: Real Voices, Real Change”, set by the World Federation for Mental Health. The campaign centers on amplifying first-person accounts from people with lived mental health experience, ensuring these voices shape policy, services, and public discourse. Use to join the conversation.

How to Get Involved:

1) Check on Someone
2) Wear Green
3) Share on Social Media
4) Organize a Workplace Event
5) Educate Yourself
6) Attend a Local Event

For more information, visit https://www.awarenessdays.com/awareness-days-calendar/world-mental-health-day/

10/09/2026

The roots of International Le***an Day are uncertain but most historians believe the holiday began in New Zealand in March 1980 when a group of 40 le***an activists conducted a Le***an Day March through the country’s capital, according to Pride New Zealand. The day was moved to October 8 to mirror International Women’s Day, which is celebrated March 8.

The first Australian event was held at the Collingwood Town Hall in Melbourne on October 13, 1990. It featured musicians, market stalls and readings during the afternoon. Following that, the women held a dance with live bands later in the evening. Melbourne le***ans then celebrated the day on or around October 8 for the next several years.

In recent years le***ans encourage the community to either get together or show support by donating to charities supporting le***an women.

International Le***an Day is all-inclusive. It’s a day to be shared by le***ans and also allies of le***an rights.

For more information, visit https://www.meridianact.org.au/international_le***an_day_2022

10/08/2026

Come join us for a creepy time at our annual Hocus Pocus event. 🤡🎟️🏳️‍🌈

Every ticket helps support Fiesta Youth’s free programs for LGBTQ+ youth and their families. Come for the carnival. Leave knowing you helped make a difference. If you would like to volunteer please message for more information. 🧡

📅 Saturday, October 17, 2026 🕖 7–11 PM 📍 Woman’s Club of San Antonio 🎭 Ages 21+

🎟️ Tickets: fiesta-youth.org/hocus-pocus or click on link in bio

Tag the friend you’re bringing through these doors. 👇