Festival Latino heats up Galt Gardens
LATIN CULTURES FROM CENTRAL,SOUTH AMERICA REPRESENTED
Galt Gardens was filled with the sights, sounds and smells of Latin America on Saturday for the third annual Festival Latino.
Jane Anderson, an event organizer, said the event features a mixture of Latino cultures from a number of different countries, including people from Ecuador, Mexico, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Argentina.
“They’ve all come together so they can share with us all of their culture, music, dance and their delicious food,” said Anderson.
The day included music and dance performances, as well as a number of booths from local restaurants specializing in Latin cuisine. Children played in bouncy castles, had their faces painted, or decorated themselves with temporary tattoos. There was a large mist area for anyone looking to play in the water and cool off. For those wishing to take in the summer sounds and sun, there was a beer garden serving tequila and other Latin favourites.
Latin America includes a large, diverse population with many ethnic groups, languages (though primarily Spanish) and cultural backgrounds.
This is the third year for the event, which is put on with the help of the Southern Alberta Ethnic Association.
“I just love it all,” Anderson said. “We’ve been planning it for a while. The Southern Alberta Ethnic Association does the planning for everything.
“This is just the icing for the cake. I love all of it.”
SAEA has provided a way for many different ethnicities to come together for about 40 years. They highlight the different global cultures, languages, cuisines, dancing and performances, and ethnic music, thought and philosophy.
Other events hosted by SAEA include cultural nights, Heritage Day celebrations, Caribbean carnivals, and annual holiday events.
“SAEA is nonpolitical, nonreligions and nonprofit. What we are is inclusive. We celebrate diversity.”
Festival Latino is just one of a number of events held by SAEA throughout the year with the goal of connecting cultures in the community.
“Everybody can join us,” Anderson said. “You don’t have to be from another country. You can be from right here.
“We’re all different, but we celebrate diversity.”
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