Latino Festival works to build stronger community

CEDAR RAPIDS - The Festival Latino de Cedar Rapids began Sunday with many attendees seeking out spots in the shade for a break from the summer sun, but a burst of rain just over an hour into the event gave guests a new reason to find shelter.

The brief showers didn't dampen the fun, however, as the third annual event continued on with its offerings of traditional Latino food, live music, activities for children and the World Cup final on a jumbo-sized screen at Greene Square Park.

Event chairman Anthony Brown said once organizers realized the event had been scheduled on the same day as the World Cup final, they got the idea to broadcast it on the big screen.

And as people began arriving and setting up lawn chairs to watch Argentina take on Germany, it looked like the organizers had made the right call.

The viewing party also fit in with the goal of the event, which is to help give 'a sense of community and a sense of experiencing something new,” Brown said.

'It's not a big political thing,” said Brown, who was expecting around 1,500 people to attend Sunday. 'It's a great way to be better global citizens. It's more about having fun.”

The event has grown in the past two years, Brown said, and that is heartening for participants such as Jairo Munoz. His organization, the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, has been involved in the festival since it began.

'It's nice to see how people get more and more into the event,” Munoz said. 'It's definitely important for us to show that there are Hispanics working in engineering.”

Muñoz, who shared laughs and hugs with many who stopped by his organization's tent, said those who come to the event have a growing interest in learning about the culture.

With the growth in interest and attendance has come a growth in the number of vendors at the festival, Brown said.

More than 20 vendors were involved this year, including Mary Lou Gallegos, who has sold jewelry and dolls from Mexico at the event each year.

'I like the atmosphere,” Gallegos said. 'I'm Latino, so I like how everyone comes around.”

Both Gallegos and Brown said they hope to see even more people coming around as the festival continues to grow in coming years.

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