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Arizona's only Madonnari festival is expected to draw a record crowd of more than 5,000 to Downtown on Saturday.

The Third Annual Tucson Madonnari Chalk Festival is a celebration of community and art, with music, poetry, sculpture, food, face painting and more.

"I'm thrilled. There's been a lot of community support," said Leia Maahs, the festival's creator and artistic director. The festival is produced by the Downtown Tucson Partnership.

The tradition of street painting dates to 16th-century Italy, when the early artists traveled from city to city re-creating the image of the Madonna, hence the name.

The 15 artists at Saturday's event will draw inspiration from contemporary topics and the Sonoran Desert as well as the Renaissance as they transform the plaza into giant canvases, Maahs said.

Each artist will work with a youth apprentice, and the public will have the chance to work on a piece.

This year's festival includes a Madonna car made by Chandler artist Jose Benavides that's made out of license plates. "It's beautiful," Maahs said.

More than 3,000 people turned out last year, despite a downpour early in the day.

The forecast this year is for sunny skies.

When asked to write a corrido for the first time, Gamaliel Rabago was inspired by the sacrifice an illegal immigrant made to save a young boy's life.

The story dealt with Manuel de Jesus Córdova Soberanes, who found 9-year-old Christopher Buchleitner wandering the desert after a car crash that killed his mother about 60 miles southwest of Tucson. Córdova stayed with the boy and sought help.

Rabago won first place in the University of Arizona Poetry Center's high school corrido contest, said Maria Elena Wakamatusu, head of the English department at Desert View High School.

His corrido, along with the second- and third-place winners, will be performed as part of the third annual Tucson Madonnari Chalk Festival.

"(Rabago) had never written poetry like this before, so he was surprised that he won. He was so nervous about it," Wakamatusu said.

Corridos are traditional ballads used by the Mexican population, particularly near the U.S./Mexico border, to convey information between communities or honor a significant person, or they can serve as a platform to discuss social issues, said Frances Sjoberg, UA Poetry Center literary director.

Corridos are popular because they're easy to remember and pass along.

This is the second year the UA Poetry Center has partnered with the chalk festival's organizers, Tucson Madonnari, to feature the high school corrido contestants, said Leia Maahs, the Tucson Madonnari's artistic director.

Fayana Richards is a University of Arizona journalism senior who is apprenticing at the Star. You can contact her at starapprentice@azstarnet.com.