Latino festival to kick off 10th anniversary

Ten years after the celebration’s creation, IU will once again observe Latino culture with a day full of Hispanic traditions, events and even a Grammy Award-nominated band.

“Festival Latino” will take place from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday in Dunn Meadow.
Various IU Latino organizations and outreach programs will be present, including La Casa and Latino Enhancement Cooperative, whose members are looking to educate students on the multiple aspects of Latino culture.

Four bands will play: Descarga, Kumbia Queers, Women of Mass Percussion and Grammy Award-nominated band Sones De Mexico, according to a press release.

Sones De Mexico’s opening concert, titled “Fiesta Mexicana,” will be aimed at children first, while the band will close with more contemporary music. It is a six-member band from Chicago dedicated to educating and performing music of all cultures, not just Latinos. One of the musicians, Juan Dies, is an IU alumnus. The band was nominated for a Grammy for Best Mexican/Mexican-American Album in 2008.

Besides music, the festival will include a variety of other Latino celebrations.

“We will have live music, dancing, food, interactive activities and much, much more,” said senior Steve Marnell, a member of the Latino Enhancement Cooperative. He said there will be separate events occurring at the Mathers Museum of World Cultures during the festival.

Marnell said the booths with Latino organizations at the event will have information available.

Lillian Casillas, director of La Casa, said her organization has been a part of the festival since its creation, and she wants everyone to take away a sense of belonging and support.

The goal of the festival is to encourage interaction while also celebrating the culture.

For groups like La Casa and the Latino Enhancement Cooperative, Festival Latino doubles as a way to get National Hispanic Heritage Month started and encourage students to attend other events.

“The festival is a fantastic place to interact and develop relationships with Latinos and non-Latinos from inside and outside the Bloomington community,” Marnell said.