Latino Culture Fest Begins Friday in Huntingburg

Image courtesy of ALASI's Facebook Page

By Kris Norton

Huntingburg – ALASI’s 8^th Annual Latino Culture Fest kicks off on Friday afternoon in Huntingburg.

The event is not only about coming together to celebrate Central American culture, but to share it with the entire community, says ALASI President Eber Menjivar.

“It’s a way of us representing our culture, and also, a way of inviting the whole community to come and learn about our culture, and our traditions, our food – which is amazing by the way,” Menjivar said. “Every year, it’s always a hit.”

Opening at 4:00 p.m. on Friday, booths will line the parking lot outside of League Stadium – occupied by sponsors, and 12 food and drink stations provided by local families.

“The food is prepared by your neighbors, back doors, we gather the best Latino people that know how to do special, different dishes,” Menjivar said. “These are our neighbors, these are our coworkers, these are our friends, church members. They go, and they’re willing to cook and give us a taste of Latin America.”

Festival-goers can enjoy a wide variety of options – papusas, tamales, tacos, and more – while listening to traditional Latino music played by notable bands.

“The music groups that we bring are renowned worldwide, and especially from certain parts of Central America,” Menjivar said. “This year we’re having two bands: one from Mexico and one from El Salvador.”

La Nueva Dosis Norteña, a regional Mexican band based out of Indianapolis, takes the stage at 7:00 p.m. Friday. Grupo Algodon, a music group from El Salvador with Cumbia music, will go on at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday.

Though the festival is a celebration of Latino culture, it truly is open to anyone, says Menjivar.

“This event is for everyone – we get asked a lot, ‘Is this event only for Latinos?’” Menjivar said. “It’s a Latino-based festival, but it’s for everyone to go out and enjoy it, and really have a good time.”

Booths will be open from 4:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. on Friday and from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. on Saturday.

More information about ALASI and the Latino Culture Fest can be found at: www.facebook.com/alasi.in