Preparing the city for Hispanic Heritage Month starting on Sept. 15, the Greater St. Louis Hispanic Festival hit downtown this past weekend.
Sept. 6-8 Kiener plaza was filled with St. Louisans who came out to support and celebrate the beauty of Latino and Latina culture.
The largest Hispanic festival in the area, the plaza was filled with over 50 booths – from food vendors to artisanal craftmen selling their wares. The majority of the vendors, musicians and performers were greater St. Louis area citizens.
Courtesy of Hispanic Festival
Performers at the 2013 Hispanic Festival share the unique traditions of their cultures on the main stage.
The main stage held dynamic performances from different Hispanic countries. Dancers from Bolivia, Mexico, Brazil and Panama were amongst those featured. Various musicians from the Andes, Mexico and Cuba graced the stage with salsa, mariachis, rock, folk and modern Latin pop music.
Along with scheduled performances, Saturday specifically showcased a Hispanic heritage fashion show featuring the traditional dress of various countries.
Saturday also held a grand parade of Hispanic nations that marched through the city bearing flags of the various Hispanic countries found represented here in St. Louis. Citizens could join in the parade at will to support their countries, creating a beautiful display of Hispanic pride.
Food booths featured varied dishes from Argentina, Belize, Mexico and more. Authentic dishes not easy to come by (such as spinach and cheese empanadas, true nachos, crispy churros and chicharrones de harina) were being sold. This past weekend it was all lined up and served fresh by our Latino/ Latina neighbors.
Vendors sold jewelry, pottery, instruments and various other items from countries such as Bolivia, Guatemala and Mexico just to name a few. Colorful hand-woven bags, hand-whittled wooden chess sets and homemade salsas were all for sale at affordable prices. Local businesses such as Shop’n’Save, First Bank and Wells Fargo had booths as well as city organizations such as St. Louis Art Museum, STL Civil Rights Enforcement Agency and US Legal Solutions.
The purpose of this festival is not just enjoyment. It is a showcasing of Hispanic culture to the St. Louis community.
The annual event was hosted by Hispanic Festival Inc., a nonprofit organization that works to unite and bring cultural harmony in the greater St. Louis area. The funds raised are used to finance scholarships distributed to college-bound students as well as under-privileged children and their families.
If you missed the event and wish to explore the various Hispanic cultures found on campus, SLU has its very own student led Hispanic organization.
HALO, or the Hispanic American Leadership Organization, is a campus Chartered Student Organization (CSO) committed to exposing SLU’s campus to Hispanic culture.
The organization is open to all students regardless of cultural backgrounds and functions as a great resource for those on campus who want to explore their own Hispanic culture or those who want new experiences.