LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — What's usually a three-day festival in September was crunched into an eight-hour event Saturday to celebrate the Latin American culture here in Kentucky.
The Festival De Latino brought hundreds of people from all walks of life to come out to dance, sing, mingle, and embrace the Latin American culture that flows through the commonwealth.
"It gives us the Hispanic-Latin community in central Kentucky, in Lexington to share a part of our custom. And makes us feel at home because when we're able to be who we are to share who we are with the rest of our neighbors. Then we feel at home and other people feel comfortable with us too," explains Yamel Patterson-Munoz, a Latin American Culture and Arts treasurer.
"I'm excited that we were actually able to get it done and I'm always proud that we can do this for the community because it's a way of spreading Latino culture and that's something that's very much needed in Lexington," said Francie Chassen-Lopez, one of the original board members of Flaca and a UK Latin American History Professor. "A small group of us got together and decided we needed to do some kind of celebration the community was growing. When I got here in 1998 it was a very small community. By 2000 it had grown and wanted to have some kind of fiesta, something to celebrate."
The organization's leaders say Latino residents often feel hidden but it's good to be proud and know everyone is there for them.
While singing, dancing, and food are large expressions of Latin American culture, so are the arts within it.
"The Mexican culture is very broad and it's not just dancing, it's also these traditions are very important to represent Mexico. So we wanted to give another aspect of Mexico and that's why we come here today like this," said Monica Calleha, the founder of Casa de la Cultura de Kentucky.
