Wichita’s beloved ‘Elote Man’ returns after health scare
By Carolina Loera Lozano
Click here for updates on this story
WICHITA, Kan. (KAKE) — After being away most of the summer recovering from an illness, one of Wichita’s most familiar faces is back on the corner of 21st and Waco.
For years, residents have known Don Alberto Quezada as the “Elote Man,” the vendor who could be spotted rain or shine, pushing his cart through the Northside and greeting customers with a cheerful “Gracias, que le vaya bien.”
“I used to sell popsicles, but I didn’t like it,” Quezada said with a laugh. “So I started selling corn.”
Quezada once worked in construction, but after getting hurt on the job and losing his position, he had to find another way to make ends meet. That’s when he turned to street vending—first popsicles, then Mexican-style corn.
Almost every day, he hops on his bike and wheels his cooler through Wichita’s Nomar neighborhood. Over time, his flavorful elote made him a community favorite.
“Not even in my dreams,” he said about becoming one of the city’s most well-known street vendors.
But earlier this summer, Quezada suddenly collapsed while preparing his food. He was rushed to the hospital, leaving behind his cart full of corn on the street.
Norma Aguilar, who witnessed what happened, says the community quickly stepped in.
“I posted what happened on social media, and people responded. They came out to help—we even ran out of corn,” Aguilar said.
That day, neighbors raised nearly $1,000. Aguilar then launched a GoFundMe, which collected almost $4,000 to help Quezada recover. But she says she hopes the generosity doesn’t stop there.
“The other day I saw him riding his bike, and it looked really hard for him,” Aguilar said. “If people could donate toward an electric bicycle, we could make it easier for him to keep doing what he loves.”
A GoFundMe has been set up to help with that goal.
For Quezada, the outpouring of support has been overwhelming.
“Thank you so much for everything people have done for me without expecting anything in return,” he said.
Now back on his corner, he says he plans to keep selling elote for as long as he can.
“As long as I’m able, I’ll keep going,” he said.
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.