Raleigh's La Fiesta is a party for all this Sunday
RALEIGH (WTVD) -- ABC11 is a proud sponsor of La Fiesta del Pueblo, a festival happening in downtown Raleigh this Sunday that celebrates Latino culture through food, art, music and dance.
The annual festival is free and is organized by a local non-profit organization called "El Pueblo." It's set to take place on Fayetteville Street from noon to 7 p.m.
The event has been going on for more than 20 years, and according to the organization, more than 20,000 people attended the event last year, even with less than ideal weather.
Some of the things you can expect according to El Pueblo:
More than 20 food trucks
- The ABC11 Pop Up Studio: Meet and take pictures with ABC11 anchors and reporters, and try your hand at forecasting the weather.
- Musical acts and dancers on the main stage at City Plaza. Honduran band "Banda Blanco" will headline the event. Their popular song from the 90's "Sopa de Caracol," has been covered by modern Latino artists such as Elvis Crespo and Pitbull.
- Painting, visual art and other arts and crafts for sale by local Latino artists
- A children's section with bounce houses and face painting
- A section for teens and young adults with information on youth leadership programs, organized by El Pueblo's youth team
- More than 50 non-profit organizations providing information and services, such as Wake County public services, free health examinations and a voter registration drive
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El Pueblo's communications coordinator, William Saenz, said the organization is dedicated to advocating for the Latino community, provide leadership development for Latino youth, and organizing cultural events such as La Fiesta.
"The funny thing people have been telling us during La Fiesta is that you have this humongous five block festival, you have the Capitol building right there - for people in the Latino community, they'll tell us that this is amazing. It almost feels like we've arrived and that we're a fully functioning part of this community," Saenz said.
Saenz said events such as La Fiesta are important for members of the Latino and non-Latino communities alike when it comes to building a strong sense of community.
"So it just means a lot to have this great yearly festival and basically show people all the great contributions that the Latino community has provided for Wake County."
You don't have to be Latino to enjoy the festivities, he added.
"It's open to everyone no matter what your background, ethnicity; it's definitely open in that area, Saenz said.
"One of the nice things about La Fiesta is that it's just a kind of a friendly reminder to everybody that hey, we're your friends, we're your neighbors, and we're your co-workers, and anyone who's looking to have a very diverse and welcoming community here in Raleigh, in the Triangle, La Fiesta is definitely for you."
Saenz said the festival is still looking for volunteers to help El Pueblo on the day of the event. You can find out how to volunteer here.
Keep up with all of ABC11's coverage on La Fiesta Del Pueblo here.
Check out more details about vendors at La Fiesta here and information about El Pueblo here.
