Eat, play, dance and learn at the Latin American Festival
You can find authentic bites from around Latin America, vendors selling crafts and other goods, games and a wide range of local, national and international musical and performance art talent taking stage on Sept. 21 at the Latin American Festival.
The Latin American Coalition is hosting the 29th annual event at 3800 Aldersgate Dr. in East Charlotte.
Tony Arreaza, cultural events director at the Latin American Coalition, said the festival started in 1990 to celebrate the diverse cultures of the Latin American people who were moving to and living in the Charlotte area. Since then, the festival has grown into a flagship cultural event, with about 8,000-10,000 people attending in the past few years.
“The festival is a melting pot — it’s not a Latino event where you only see Latino participants. Every year the percent of the non-Latinos increases, and this is so important to us,” Arreaza said.
Arreaza believes the Latin American Festival is particularly important this year, considering the current political climate.
“It’s truly important because you know there’s so much going on with immigration on the news, in the media. So I do believe that it’s extremely important for the city to have that space for us so they can really get to know us … they can get to know us and see what how we celebrate, learn about our culture, the food and meet us in a setting that is very friendly. Who doesn’t like music and food, right?”Arreaza said.
Venezuelan latin pop sensation and political activist Nacho is headlining the festival this year. As one half of the duo Chino y Nacho, Nacho won a Latin Grammy and had multiple Billboard hits. Now, he performs as a solo artist and has used his celebrity status to raise awareness of the poor economic and political conditions in his native country through political activism. Most recently, he organized a Venezuelan Aid Concert that raised over $2.5 million for humanitarian aid.
Other acts include:
Homenaje a Celso Piña, a Mexican band featuring Pato Machete.
Los Acoustic Guys, a rock-en-español group playing tunes in both English and Spanish.
NC Brazilian Arts Project, a dance and entertainment troupe with a mission of sharing Afro-Brazilian culture through high energy workshops and performances.
YAPRE, a vibrant Puerto Rican folk dance ensemble celebrating the island’s African and Caribbean roots.
El Nuevo Tumbao, a musical group performing classical salsa pieces with a strong horn section.
Larry Bellorin & Su Latin Fusion, a Raleigh-based band playing Latin fusion music led by Larry Bellorin playing the arpa, a large wooden harp.
Admission for the festival will be free from noon to 2 p.m., $10 from 2-6 p.m., and $20 after 6 p.m. The pricing structure is designed to be inclusive by providing an early bird discount to those who come early.
This story was originally published September 18, 2019 at 10:01 PM with the headline "Eat, play, dance and learn at the Latin American Festival."