La Casita hosts ‘Quinceañera Dreams’ to mark cultural hub’s coming of age
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On Saturday night, La Casita Cultural Center in downtown Syracuse opened its doors to local student Escarlett Navarrete, her family, friends and neighbors to celebrate her quinceañera, a Latin American tradition commemorating the transition from girlhood to womanhood on a girl’s 15th birthday.
Attendees and volunteers of Escarlett’s quinceañera stepped into a floral wonderland when walking through the doors of La Casita, a cultural hub boasting an art gallery, bilingual library, a performance space and more.
Coinciding with Hispanic Heritage Month, La Casita launched the “Quinceañera Dreams” exhibition. The display in La Casita’s front room celebrates the tradition across generations, also marking La Casita’s 15th anniversary.
“(Quinceañera Dreams) was something we thought was such a perfect fit because the quinceañera tradition is so deeply rooted in Latino culture, and our gallery space is there to highlight Latino culture,” La Casita’s Director Tere Paniagua said. “We really wanted to make this an immersive experience for our guests who will be there on Saturday.”
La Casita began outreach for the exhibit at the beginning of the year, which included asking women in the community who’ve had quinceañeras to share memories and keepsakes for the exhibit, Paniagua said.
Until April, “Quinceañera Dreams” will have a home in the gallery space. Photos, written reflections and dresses from women like Nicole Pacateque and Shakira Santos with ties to Syracuse University fill the room.
Some SU alumni like Pacateque, who graduated in 2021, and Santos, who earned her masters degree in 2025, smiled in photos from their own quinceañeras. On Santos’ special day, she wore a teal ball gown standing behind a lake backdrop, while Pacateque donned a light pink dress and looked at her reflection in a gilded mirror.
A floral arrangement decorates Escarlett Navarrete’s quinceañera celebration. After years of waiting, Navarrete said she couldn’t believe the day had arrived. Ruby Lock | Contributing Photographer
Other local community members, like SU junior Gabriela Guadalupe, posed in a dark red dress as she blew out gold candles. These SU women celebrated their quinceañeras years ago, but on Saturday, it was Escarlett’s turn.
Escarlett attended her photo session in her shimmery teal dress and crown before the guests arrived at 6 p.m. Mechanical butterflies flapping their wings adorned her hair. It was a busy day for Escarlett — photographers, roughly 180 guests and student volunteers flooded into the hall to congratulate her on her special day. But after years of waiting for her quinceañera celebration, Escarlett couldn’t believe the day had finally arrived.
“I wanted to have this moment to share my culture with other people,” Escarlett said. “Now that I’m older, though, I want to be younger. I spent my whole night waiting for this moment, and now I want to go back.”
Escarlett, who’s the middle child of three sisters and a junior at Henninger High School, gushed about the help she received from her mom and sisters. Whether it was having someone to dance with, stand next to during speeches or find her makeup case so she could touch up her lip gloss.
Her father, Alain Navarrete, reflected on the time that had flown by since Escarlett’s birth.
“She was so small,” Alain said.
He dropped his hand to a few inches above the hardwood, meant to imitate Escarlett’s height as a young child.
“And now she’s 15,” Alain said. “She was a little girl.”
Despite several rehearsals, Alain still felt nervous ahead of his father-daughter dance at the quinceañera, he said. Alain and his daughter danced to “Si Tuviera Que Elegir.”
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La Casita Cultural Center held their “Young Art/Arte Joven” exhibit on Friday, showcasing artwork and performances students had created in their cultural and educational workshops.
Although quinceañeras typically include a large party for the guest of honor, they also hold cultural significance, which Navarrete’s family and guests kept in mind throughout the celebration. Speeches were both in English and Spanish. Many of the songs played were in Spanish and the buffet featured dishes like rice, beans and roasted plantains.
To community members who had never attended a quinceañera, the celebration was a chance to experience a special tradition in Hispanic culture, Paniagua, who organized the event, said.
Navarrete celebrated a night filled with joy and remembrance. Quinceañeras were once very different, Paniagua said. They were meant as a way for girls to present themselves to society. Today, however, they take on a new meaning. They’remeant to recognize the potential and ambition of young women.
After posing for photographs and dancing with both of her parents in her teal dress, she changed into a lighter, shorter red dress and entered the dance floor. Her guests donned light-up floral crowns and danced to 2010s hits such as Justin Bieber’s “Beauty and a Beat.”
Under dim lights and without shoes, they danced along to a “Just Dance” YouTube video of One Direction’s “What Makes You Beautiful.” Escarlett smiled beside her cake, surrounded by candles and glowing floral headbands
“Turning 15 is about much more than a dress or a party,” Paniagua said to a crowd of guests. “It’s about communities and people who bring these traditions to life.”
