Episode 200

Marcos Eduardo Mora Barrientos is the executive director of Casa de la Cultura, the organization behind Omaha’s annual Cinco de Mayo celebration.

Mora was born in Los Angeles and raised in Omaha, where his family has lived for nearly a century after his grandfather, Vidal Barrientos, migrated from Mexico in the 1920s. La familia Barrientos has been known for its musicianship in South Omaha ever since, and Mora is no exception. He plays guitar in three bands.

As executive director of Casa de la Cultura, Mora will oversee Omaha’s 105th Cinco de Mayo next year. The annual celebration attracts more than 200,000 visitors for three days of food and music honoring Omaha’s Mexican heritage.

Mora is also founder and executive director for the Barrientos Scholarship Foundation and part of the Nebraska Realty group. In this conversation, he's in conversation with Michael Griffin about balancing his many responsibilities, how to achieve equity in local art and music, and his vision for next year’s Cinco de Mayo.

Originally aired 7-15-24