Music, conversations and the smell of Mexican food filled the room Saturday, Jan. 10, as community members gathered at the Mitchell Park Pavilion for a community pozolera. 

County Supervisor Juan Miguel Martinez, along with several community partners, hosted the event, in which residents were treated to homemade tamales, pozole and other free goods. 

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Martinez, who represents the 12th District, which includes Mitchell Park, said the goal of the event was to bring residents together to start the new year with a shared sense of community. 

Martinez and others have helped to lead efforts to conserve the Mitchell Park Domes, which face funding challenges due in large part to deferred maintenance. “The Domes: Reimagined,” a plan last updated in 2025, outlines a strategy to fund, restore and sustain the South Side icon and expand its use by the community.

Diego Payton-Carrillo, 4, eats a tamale.
Alan Chaovoya serves a bowl of pozole.
A woman pours chili flakes into a bowl of green pozole. The origin of pozole’s name comes from the Nahuatl word “pozolli.”
Dozens of residents attended the Mitchell Park Pozolera on Jan. 10.
Brandon Payton-Carrillo performs music for attendees.
A fresh, homemade tamale sits on a plate. The tamales were a hit with residents.
Hernan Mercado, 10, eats his tamale.
The Zilli Hospitality Group provided desserts for the event. 
Cesar Hernandez hands out free toys provided by Milwaukee’s Labor Council for Latin American Advancement.
Residents enjoy free tamales, pozole and refreshments during the event.
Aurelia Ludwig, 1, stands in front of a table of free toys given to children by Milwaukee’s Labor Council for Latin American Advancement.

Jonathan Aguilar is a visual journalist at Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service who is supported through a partnership between CatchLight Local and Report for America.

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Jonathan Aguilar is a photojournalist as well as a Report for America corps member and Catchlight Local fellow. Before coming to Milwaukee, he spent two years as a photographer at one of America’s oldest daily newspapers, The Blade, in Toledo, Ohio. Aguilar grew up in the Chicago suburbs. He earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism from DePaul University and his master’s degree from the Medill School of Journalism.