Festival Latino aims to unite campus, community

With music, food and fun, the ninth-annual Festival Latino ventures to unite the campus and Bloomington community. \nThe event, which takes place 1 to 6 p.m. Saturday in Dunn Meadow, happens right in the middle of the Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 National Heritage Month.\nSponsored by La Casa, Festival Latino celebrates Latino culture with music, dancing, food and interactive activities at booths promoting campus and community organizations. \n"It bridged community and campus, Latinos and non-Latinos together, and it is also very family-oriented," La Casa Director Lillian Casillas said.\nGuadalupe Arroyo, director of the Latino Enhancement Cooperative, said the festival is important to the community because it brings together Latinos and non-Latinos in a fun venue. \n"It provides everyone (an opportunity) to go out of their comfort zone, and at their own pace," Arroyo said.\nThe festival will include music by three bands. Dejavu, a Latin-fusion band from Ohio, and Orquesta Bravo, an Indianapolis-based salsa group, performed at last year's event. Festival organizers received "great feedback (from the two groups), and we decided to invite them back," Arroyo said. \nThe third group, Pambasso, is a steel drums band made up of members of the IU Jacobs School of Music.\nThe festival will also include several interactive activities throughout the afternoon, according to a press release. There will be a walkthrough timeline showing important events in Latino history, a Latin dance steps class will be taught from 2:40 to 3 p.m. and a dance contest with prizes will be held from 4 to 4:30 p.m. \nThe Mathers Museum of World Cultures will also have a hand in the interactive activities. Participants can play games from across Latin America, make Inca dance bells, wish for a foil milagro (miracle) or draw a picture to describe a Latino proverb. \nFood will be provided by local vendors. \nWhether people come for the food or to tie on their Inca dance bells and participate in the dance contest, the goal of La Casa and the LEC is to get everyone participating and having fun while learning about Latino culture, Casillas said.