Festival Latinoamericano to Celebrate Hispanic Heritage

This weekend, Festival Latinoamericano will celebrate authentic and diverse Hispanic food, music and dancing in Arlington.

“We want to commemorate national Hispanic Heritage Month and over 15 percent of Arlington’s population identifies as Latino,” said Dulce Carrillo, multicultural marketing, outreach and advocacy manager for the Arlington County Department of Parks and Recreation.

“Hopefully it will help build bridges between the Latino and non-Latino community,” Carillo said. "Everyone is welcome."

Eleven different acts will perform at the festival, including Afro-Colombian dancers, a Mexican mariachi band, and Panamanian folkloric dancers.

The event also features several food vendors to allow festival-goers to sample cuisine from Peru, Argentina, Bolivia, and countries throughout Central America. Retail vendors will be on hand selling crafts, and children can run through an obstacle course and play games.  

“You don’t have to travel outside the country to sample different cultures,” Carillo said.

The event was organized by the county along with the support of community volunteers. It has been put on for more than four years.

“We (led), but the community members said who they want to see, what kind of food, what vendors,” Carillo said.

The free festival takes place from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday at Kenmore Middle School, 200 S. Carlin Springs Road. For more information, call 703-228-0751 or visit www.arlingtonva.us/dpr.

Click here to see a photo gallery from last year's Festival Latinoamericano.