Latin Festival community block party is Saturday in Highland Park

The festival will include traditional folkloric dance and musical performances, a parade of nations, pavilion of faith, soccer tournament, children’s area, fashion display and visual artists’ showcase.

A community festival that covers two city blocks of the Highland Park neighborhood is set for Saturday, May 6.

Latin Festival 2017, hosted by Chattanooga State Community College’s Outreach Office, is a free block party with the spirit of a Caribbean carnival. It will be held in the Highland Park Commons, between Union and Kirby avenues.

According to Gladys Pineda-Loher, Chatt State’s director of International Community Outreach, there will be 24 vendors in the food court representing 16 Latino countries. Additionally, a dozen vendors will show and sell items in The Market Place.

The festival will include traditional folkloric dance and musical performances by local artists and regional performers, a parade of nations, pavilion of faith, Latino-American soccer tournament, children’s area and visual artists’ showcase. There will even be a Hispanic Heritage Fashion display.

Latin Festival benefits Chattanooga State’s Latino Scholarship and English as a Second Language Program. During the 2016-17 academic year, proceeds helped fund scholarships for 23 Latino scholars and 75 ESL scholars.

Pineda- Loher says a unique feature of Latin Fes- tival is its Passport to Latin-American Challenge, a fun cultural-learning experience available for up to 500 participants.

“It will challenge people to connect with 17 educational booths and it provides activities to learn about different Latin countries represented in Chattanooga. Goody bags will be available for participants completing the challenge,” she says.

Organizers have part- nered with Highland Park Commons, YMCA Metro, city of Chattanooga, Highland Park Neighborhood Association, Chattanooga Neighborhood Association, La Paz Chattanooga, Chattanooga Zoo, 27 Hispanic churches, Chattanooga Police Department and Hamilton County Department of Education to develop a diverse program for Latin Festival 2017.

For more information, call 423-697-3204 or visit www.latinfestivalcha.org.

CHATTANOOGA STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE PHOTO The Latin Festival Saturday in Highland Park will acquaint visitors with the food and customs of 16 countries.