ICE deportation fears cancel popular Charlotte family festival, organizers say
ICE deportation fears prompted organizers to cancel the popular Hispanic Heritage Festival of the Carolinas at Truist Field in uptown Charlotte Friday.
“After much thought and with the well-being of our community at heart, we have decided not to hold the Hispanic Heritage Festival at the Knights baseball stadium this year,” organizers said on social media.
The stadium on South Mint Street is home to the Charlotte Knights Triple A minor league baseball team.
“This would have been our fourth anniversary, but the current immigration climate has created a challenging environment for large Latino events in our city,” organizers said in a statement.
“This decision was not made lightly,” Ashley Manzano, vice president of Charlotte-based Ultra Festivals Group, told The Charlotte Observer on Saturday. “But it comes in response to the current political climate surrounding immigration in the country.”
“We believe that the festival should be a time of unity and celebration,” Manzano said in an email. “However, given the sensitive and challenging environment, we feel it is in the best interest of our community to pause this year’s event.”
Friday, event organizers said their priority “is to ensure safety, great entertainment, and a full house for all who attend. We believe this is not the right moment to celebrate in such a large format, and we prefer to step back this year so we can return even stronger next year.”
“We look forward to hopefully resuming next year under more favorable circumstances,” Manzano said.
Organizers said they were “deeply grateful” for the community’s “support and love” over the years, “and we promise to make our 2026 festival one to remember.”
“Until then, we stand with our Latino community and look forward to celebrating together in the future.”
ICE has arrested people near a Charlotte school, the Mecklenburg County Courthouse and other locations this year, sparking fears and calls for law enforcement transparency as new state laws increase local-federal cooperation, the Observer reported.
Federal agents arrested people at Charlotte’s immigration court, raising concerns about basic fairness in the legal system, the Observer reported in June.
This story was originally published August 16, 2025 at 10:59 AM.