Plaza de Las Cruces stage will be named Roberto V. Estrada Pavilion
The City of Las Cruces will honor the late restaurateur and local philanthropist Roberto Estrada Friday, Nov. 17 in a public dedication of the stage at the south end of the Plaza de Las Cruces.
The ceremony will be held at 3 p.m. at the plaza, located at 100 N. Main St. Going forward, the stage will be known as the Roberto V. Estrada Pavilion.
Estrada was well known in Las Cruces as the owner of Roberto’s Mexican Food. He was equally known for his kindness and willingness to support fellow community members any way he could, often by donating free food to causes.
Estrada was also the founder of The Whole Enchilada Fiesta, celebrated annually from 1980 to 2014. Estrada’s giant red enchilada, made during the fiesta, held the Guinness World Record for the largest three-layered, flat enchilada for a decade.
“Roberto’s contributions to the community were too many to count, and his impact on southern New Mexico and its residents continues to live on. Downtown Las Cruces would not be what it is today were it not for citizens like Roberto Estrada and his efforts to continually build community pride in the hearts of everyone he touched,” a news release from the city reads.
Estrada died in August 2021 at the age of 84.
The Las Cruces City Council voted unanimously to name the Plaza de Las Cruces stage in honor of Estrada in December 2021. The stage is not currently named.
Mayor Ken Miyagishima and Mayor Pro-Tem Kasandra Gandara will speak during the ceremony. A news release notes that all are invited to attend and are encouraged to wear their The Whole Enchilada Fiesta shirts to show support.
The ceremony will also be viewable on the city’s YouTube channel by Nov. 20.
Leah Romero is the trending reporter at the Las Cruces Sun-News and can be reached at 575-418-3442, LRomero@lcsun-news.com or @rromero_leah on X, formerly Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Roberto Estrada to be honored with Plaza de Las Cruces stage renaming
