Episode #153 | Rubén Darío Villa, Mr. Fúchila

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A sudden 2023 layoff email wasn’t a setback for Rubén Darío Villa—it was a blessing in disguise. After years spent working as a designer in big tech, Darío Villa used the transition to commit his creative drive to Gilroy and South County.

Before shifting to local organizing, Darío Villa built a national presence through Fuchila Fresheners, coining the term Chicanostalgia and turning childhood memories and pop culture iconography into hanging air fresheners. As an artist and organizer, his work connects everyday life with community action, a philosophy grounded in his studio art and sociology degrees from Santa Clara University.

Today, Darío Villa serves as Chair of the Gilroy Arts and Culture Commission and operates his creative studio, Fuchilandia. As an organizer, he founded La Ofrenda Festival, a free annual Día de los Muertos celebration and wellness fair that takes over Downtown Gilroy. Entering its fourth year in 2026, the festival was created to bring healing, local art, and family connection to the forefront for his city; the free festival features live lucha libre, a mercado with over 100 vendors, music stages, and a Camino de Ofrendas.

To give those efforts a permanent home, Darío Villa also launched La Casa de Cultura y Arte in a historic city-owned building in Downtown Gilroy. The space hosts year-round arts programming, open mics, and local gatherings, with the mission of providing equitable access to the arts, fostering multi-generational cultural exchange, and creating economic opportunity for local creatives. Through performing arts education, wellness programming, and community activations, La Casa uplifts the creative voices of Gilroy, South County, and beyond.

In this conversation, Darío Villa discusses his tech background, his move into community leadership, and the creation of La Ofrenda Festival.

Website: mrfuchila.com

Instagram: mr.fuchila | la.ofrenda.festival

Event image 1: Photographed by Alex Knowbody

Event Image 2: Photographed by Ray Chavez