6 hours Ago
On Dec. 21, children and residents of Idaho Falls will have a chance to have "Pancakes With Santa" as Calakas Tacos and Miches hosts its fourth annual event. The event will start at 9 a.
m. at the Waterfront, located at 1220 Event Circle. Calakas co-owner Liliana Sanchez said that depending on attendance, they may extend the event's end time from 2 p.
m. to 5 p.m.
The event is free to the public. Children under 14 will get pancakes for free, and vendors making traditional Mexican food will be at the event with 20 booths selling last-minute gifts. The event will also feature pictures with Santa Claus and a photo booth.
The inspiration for the event occurred after the Sanchez family dealt with the loss of their child in 2017. Sanchez said her son, Giovanni, had complex medical issues that resulted in the family having to travel to Utah to visit doctors. "Having to go back and forth to Utah, there was a lot of costs incurred in doing so, which meant we didn't have a chance to have a Christmas for other kids.
That Christmas was one of the saddest ones not only for our son who was dying, but that we didn't have gifts for our kids, nor did we work at that time," Sanchez said. She said that when they came back, they left to go grab some takeout for their kids. When they arrived back at their home, their porch was filled with presents and a Christmas tree.
"Still to this day, we do not know who brought them over, but we have cherished the memory ever since," Sanchez said. Unfortunately, this was the only Christmas they had with Giovanni, who passed away at 18 months from Menkes Disease. Sanchez said that an act of kindness they received as a family at one of their darkest moments helped ignite a need to give back to the community.
She said they want to bring that kind of joy to other families and try to help in any way they can. Maria Alvarez, chairwoman of the Hispanic Chamber Committee and owner of Conectate, said organizations can still sponsor the event and volunteer. She said she's excited about the event as an opportunity to share Hispanic culture through the food, the music and with one another.
"We don't get that too much here, so to have the types of events here, it's just beautiful, and we want to share it," Alvarez said. To learn more, visit Calakas Tacos and Miches' Facebook page..
