A 1,000-person crowd gathers in Salinas to celebrate the life and legacy of Selena with music, fashion and fun.

The warm voice of Selena singing one of her heartfelt hits could be heard echoing beyond its source at Natividad Creek Park on a sunny Sunday afternoon on April 15.

That’s because 23 years after the singer was murdered by the founder of her fan club, the park is hosting its first Selena tribute festival.

The free festival attracted families and die-hard fans alike with live entertainment from bands and amateur artists, and vendors of authentic Mexican foods from savory sopes to refreshingmangonadas, flasks and business card holders with Selena’s face printed on them, and battery powered bubble blowing toys for children.

Though the classic songs of the Grammy-winning singer, Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, are part of her appeal, for the estimated 1,000 people attending this free all-day festival, the admiration often transcends her music.

“She represents hope for Latinas,” Yvette Olivarez says. “We look up to her because she went against expectations, and she would’ve done so much more with her life.”

Olivarez, who came from Watsonville with her boyfriend, is too young to have been a fan of Selena while the singer was alive. She says her interest was sparked partly by the popular 1997 biographical film, Selena, starring Jennifer Lopez as the title character.

These Selena enthusiasts who grew up after the singer reached the height of her fame are a large presence both in the crowd, and as the talent on a small stage that hosts live entertainment throughout the day.

After an all-female banda-music group finishes a set, the master of ceremonies and organizer of the event, Victor Garcia, invites small children to dance to Selena on stage for the sake of giving their parents a break. Two young girls take the stage and begin dancing to Selena’s lighthearted hit “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom” while the audience claps in encouragement.

It’s an amusing sight, and a small glimpse of what’s to come.

“The amount of families here today surprised me,” Garcia says. “It shows many years after her death, she has fans of all ages.”

Garcia, who formally worked for a local Spanish-language radio station, says he’d been planning this festival since January. He’s pleased with the success.

“Tomorrow, I’ll start planning for next year,” Garcia says with a smile.

Sahira Valenzuela of Seaside is the first in a series of solo singers from the audience to perform. Valenzuela does her best to capture the charisma of the singer as she sings “La Caracha,” a song about falling for a boy despite his broken-down car.

“It was really exciting to perform on this day when the community came together for Selena,” Valenzuela says after her performance. “Her music is timeless.”

The Selena look-alike contest, where participants display their Selena-inspired outfits and deliver a short performance, hints at her timeless sense of style as well.

Selena, who became known in her lifetime as the “Queen of Tejano” due to her roots in Texas, was also described as the “Mexican Madonna” based on her fashion.

Nine participants of various ages stand together on the stage to be interviewed by Garcia on what they like about Selena. The participants wear trademarks of the star’s outlandish style like bedazzled bras, belts and boots, and everyone – even the toddler-aged contestant – sports a bright red shade of lipstick.

“Quien creas que gano?” Garcia asks the crowd, looking for feedback on who should be the winner. He points to each participant, moving down the line from left to right, to determine which participant garners the most applause.

Out of courtesy to kids, the two youngest contestants – one of whom simply cried when it was her turn to dance on stage – each win a consolation prize.

But the real winner – the one who garnered the most applause – is 20-year-old Brian Gayten, who was dressed in drag. Gayten, who came to Salinas from San Jose for the event, channels the stage presence of Selena when twirling his body while holding the microphone toward the crowd to sing along.

“It’s an honor to even perform here today. I see myself through Selena because she’s Mexican-American, like me,” Gayten says. “All the love I felt from the crowd was great. This means so much to me.”

After Gayten is announced as the winner, the crowd lines up to take selfies with the look-alikes, and Garcia asks the crowd to come together once more to sing “Feliz Cumpleaños” to Selena.

She would have been 47 years old on April 16.