Courtesy of Unsplash
Courtesy of Unsplash
The Iowa Latino Heritage Festival resumed after taking a year off in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, offering Hispanic individuals of all backgrounds to take to the streets in celebration of their vibrant heritage.
Individuals in attendance and participation at the festival included those from Ecuador, Brazil, El Salvador and many other countries. Dancing, food, music and exhibitions from many countries and cultures were a part of this cultural experience.
“I am here because today is the Latino Festival and I am Latino. I’m Ecuadorian. And I’m doing a traditional Ecuadorian demonstration that has to do with the traditional cross, or compass (chacana), that represents the four cardinal points and elements, and ancestral medicine," Javier Alvarez, one of the individuals to participate in the festival, told Iowa Public Radio.
This year’s festival had more sponsors than previous years, which helped to compensate for the lower earnings of the festival last year, as well as the festival in 2019 when the event sustained rain, Radio Iowa reported.
Additionally, 13 new sponsors helped in distributing $1,000 scholarships to 23 Latino students, according to Iowa Public Radio.
The festival was a huge success and is expected to be held next year. MidWestOne Bank shared their praise of the event as well.
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