By Shanderia K. Posey
Editor
This year’s Latinfest – considered the largest Latino festival in Mississippi – has a new location – Canton. The fifth annual festival will take place from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Oct. 15, at the Multi Purpose Complex. The Latin American Business Association is hosting the event and for the third year in a row, Nissan is the presenting sponsor. Tickets are $8 in advance and $10 at the door. Kids 12 and younger enter for free.
The festival is a celebration of Latin American food, drink, dance and music. It will include a showcase of Latino talent, culture and professionalism in Mississippi and will provide a venue for positive cultural exchange. For the first time in the history of Latinfest a Hispanic country – Cuba – will be highlighted.
“The festival is definitely a multicultural experience,” said Pam Confer, director of Community and Public Relations at Nissan and founding board member of LABA. “Latinfest brings people together from all walks of life to experience diversity in one day. Being a sponsor of Latinfest is a natural fit for Nissan. We are at the forefront of diversity, and Nissan has won diversity awards for years.”
The all-day event will include lots of fun, prizes and freebies for attendees. The first 500 people who arrive will receive a Cuban gift. The “Sweet Taste of Latin America” takes place from 1-3 p.m. and is free with a Latinfest ticket. It will showcase Latin cuisine from 12 countries as well as Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Brazil and Cuba. Local restaurants will serve as vendors for the event. Live bands – Time to Move, Rumba Buena, Mariachis Jalisco and Treces del Sur – will perform. Salsa Mississippi of Jackson will hold dance demonstrations and contests. Cuban dances, Samba presentations and a Nissan dance contest will also entertain attendees.
The Canton Boys and Girls Club, One Church of Ridgeland and the Mississippi Professional Chapter of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers will host an interactive Kids Zone. Kids will be able to hit pinatas and make their own slushies. In addition to Nissan, other sponsors include City of Canton, Canton Chamber, American Red Cross, BancorpSouth, Gray Daniels Nissan, Merit Health, Mississippi Arts Commission, LABA-Link and the Radio People. LABA-Link aids Latino businesses by providing marketing support, mentoring and networking opportunities.
In a press release, Israel Martinez, founder of LABA, spoke to the significance of providing a venue for celebrating rich culture. “With the ever-growing Latino population in Mississippi, Latinfest is an opportunity to bring all of our communities together for a fun, family friendly experience. Moving the festival to Canton for the first time this year, we hope to develop stronger relationships with the large Latino community in Canton and encourage more residents in Madison County to enjoy the festivities,” Martinez said. In past years, Latinfest was held in Jackson and Ridgeland. “Since Canton has such a large Latino community, it’s important for them to celebrate where they are. Canton has a cornucopia of communities here,” Confer said. A percentage of proceeds from the festival benefits the Red Cross of Mississippi. Festival organizers are still seeking volunteers to help with admission and other areas.
Tickets, band listings, complete schedule and how to volunteer are available online at www.latinfest.org.
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