On Aug. 29, the Pavilion at Bolado Park Event Center will transform into a runway. The Indigenous Fashion Show Gala will celebrate Native designs while featuring Aztec dance, live performances, food and community.
The event is presented 3-9pm by the Indigenous Nations Diversity Network in partnership with Youth Alliance. Bolado Park Event Center is located at 9000 Airline Highway, Tres Pinos.
The fashion runway will be directed by Joe “Hands” Lopez, of the Hopland Band of Pomo Indians and the founder of Finest Feathers, says a press release from INDN. The show will feature indigenous designers from across the west, presenting works rooted in culture, land and lineage.
Celebrity guest actor Gregory Zaragoza (Akimel Oʼodham)—known for “Yellowstone,” “Tulsa King,” and Broadway’s “Macbeth”—will walk the runway. Zaragoza will be joined by additional “VIP models” from throughout South Valley, including San Benito County Supervisor Angela Curro, Youth Alliance Executive Director Diane Ortiz, Poppy Jasper International Film Festival Director Mattie Scariot, Hollister City Councilmember Rudy Picha, Andres Rodriguez, Jeanine Riddle, Lizett Rodriguez Peña, Michelle and John McKay, Cihuapilli Rose Amador LeBeau, Sally Armendariz, Chrissy Reyes and others.
The scheduled lineup of fashion works features beadwork and couture from Keeli Littleleaf (Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, Piikani Blackfeet descent) of the fashion house Ayayat; 12-year-old designer Athena Ray of Coachella Couture; Crystal Pagal of Indigification; and Dez Adams, with additional designers to be announced. Lopez will present his own collection and a special performance, the INDN added.
The event takes place on the ancestral homelands of the Mutsun Ohlone people. As the evening unfolds, Calpulli Tonalehqueh Aztec Dancers will treat guests to a drum and dance performance. The event includes an elegant dinner and DJ Cesar Lezama hosting the dance floor later in the evening.
The event will also honor Diane Ortiz, founding Executive Director of Youth Alliance. Ortiz will be presented with the Woman of Leadership and Strength Award, says the press release.
Since co-founding Youth Alliance in 1995, Ortiz has built free prevention, counseling, leadership and advocacy programs for youth and families across San Benito and South Santa Clara counties, according to INDN. Her leadership has molded Youth Alliance from a volunteer organization into a multi-million dollar nonprofit that helps families and youth throughout the region.
The gala builds on the success of the first Indigenous Fashion Show, held in November 2025 at the Hollister Powwow and Native Gathering. That show has already inspired new Indigenous runway events throughout the region.
“Last November we saw what happens when our designers and models take the runway: our whole community stood taller,” said INDN founder Elvira Zaragoza Robinson. “This gala is our next step, a celebration of community, culture, and ceremony, with Indigenous brilliance front and center. Come dressed in your traditional best and celebrate with us.”
Tickets cost $90 and are available online at eventbrite: tinyurl.com/mr4bnxb9. The Indigenous Fashion Show is an alcohol-free and drug-free event. Free parking is available on-site. Guests are encouraged to wear cultural or traditional attire.
