Community celebrates Hispanic Heritage month with Latin American Festival

Gastonia Police and a supermarket that caters to Latinx customers will team together Saturday to hold a Latin American Festival.

The Latin American Festival takes place from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 16, in the parking lot of WoW Supermarket located at 2557 W. Franklin Blvd. 

"We're going really big for Hispanic Heritage month," said Gastonia Police Officer Alvaro Jaimes, who helped organize the festival with WoW Supermarket store manager Miguel Rodriguez.

A Latin American Festival in June had 27 vendors, while more than 60 vendors have signed up for Saturday's event, Jaimes said. 

"I can feel the passion for it from people reaching out from all across North Carolina," he said. 

The festival will feature Hispanic food vendors, information booths, a canopy display of Latin American country flags, performances from artists like Los Hermanos Rosarios. 

"This has been a long time coming," said Rodriguez. 

"We've known each other 17 years and we've been working on getting something like this done for the community ever since we met," said Jaimes. "It's a lot of work but the community deserves it."

Jaimes and Rodriguez both learned to embrace exploring different cultures from their New York upbringing. They hope to attract a diverse crowd.

"Inside, everybody is the same," said Rodriguez, originally from Brooklyn, New York. "We should all treat each other like we are the same." 

"I come from a melting pot so everyone showed up when we had festivals," said Jaimes, orginially from the Bronx. "I would see Black, white, Hispanic and a lot of different types of people."

Food vendors include but are not limited to traditional meals from Ecuador, Columbia, Peru and Puerto Rico. The 3 Leches bakery, located in WoW Supermarket and run by Leticia Robelledo, will sell sweet Mexican bread, fresh tortillas and cakes. 

In addition to performances and food, Kintegra Health will give free COVID-19 shots at the event. 

"We just want everyone from all different walks of life to come out and enjoy the human race," said Jaimes. 

The festival aligns with his goals in his role as a Latin X Community Liaison officer, Jaimes says.

He plans to host more community-focused festivals annually and collaborate with downtown businesses.

Reach Janiya Winchester at 704-869-1842 or jwinchester@gannett.com