Latest news with #LatinAmericanFestival
Boston Globe
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Worcester annual Latin American Festival cancelled, political and economic reasons named
Advertisement But recently, Centro, the nonprofit organizing the event, announced they were canceling this year's festival because of economic and political reasons, such as loss of funding and growing tensions over sharing cultures. The festival has been a yearly tradition in Worcester for over three decades, drawing crowds of over 15,000 attendees to the city center. In a statement, CEO of Centro Augustina Velazquez said they were canceling the event's 33rd iteration because 'post-pandemic inflation has doubled the costs' for various items needed to put it on, including infrastructure and security. Artists are also charging more, making the festival more difficult to finance, according to Velazquez. 'Additionally, political tensions—driven by federal policies and public perception—further complicate matters,' Velazquez said. 'While some individuals recognize the valuable efforts municipalities are making, others remain unaware or skeptical. Consequently, this has led to a decrease in community engagement." Advertisement Artists and families like Canales and his daughter were saddened to hear that the festival would not be taking place this year. Yony Avila, a reggaetón singer whose stage name is JK EL Especialista, performed at last year's festival and remembers many vendors selling handcrafted items and people hosting activities, as well as stands dedicated to different Latin American countries. 'It was cool, everyone was having fun and I really liked the way they did it because they had different countries and a lot of information about [the cultures],' said Avila, who is from Honduras. Avila, who heard about the cancellation from the organizers, said he was sorry to hear that the festival would not be taking place this year, and that kids and families would not be able to enjoy sharing and learning about different cultures. Over the past several months, tension over the recent immigration policies has risen in Worcester, Velazquez said that the event was not cancelled due to fear of ICE. 'To those who were unaware of all the details and used harsh words like 'we're afraid of ICE,' I urge you not to act on emotion and to consider all the reasons I've shared,' Velazquez said in the statement. Canales said that his daughter had the opportunity to perform her song in the bachata style, a lively style of Latin dance and music, for the first time on the stage at the Latin American Festival last year, making the experience extra special for them. He hopes that it can continue so other families can experience a similar feeling of connection with different cultures. Advertisement 'From the moment we arrived, everyone involved and part of the organization treated us like we were home. And we were home,' Canales said. Katarina Schmeiszer can be reached at
News.com.au
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
What's on: Food festival, live music - it's all happening in Darwin in May
WHAT'S ON THIS WEEKEND If you're looking for food and fun, there are a couple of cultural festivals to check out today; the 'Joy of many colours' Multicultural Food Expo at Netball NT Marrara from 4pm, and the Latin American Festival in Civic Park, featuring live music, food, art – and of course – dancing. If you're looking for a long weekend vibe – check out The Negronyz Jazz Band live from 6pm tonight at The Trader Bar, and celebrate an early Cinco de Mayo with a Latin fiesta band – live at Flora's Temper on Sunday from 3pm. As you know, I am a big advocate for shopping local, so I am excited to see over 90 stalls from local artisans and makers at the Tactile Arts Makers Market, from 9am–3pm on Sunday at the Darwin Waterfront – just in time for you to get a Mother's Day gift, some new art for your home, or some new accessories for your Dry Season wardrobe. SOMEWHERE YOU NEED TO EAT Obviously as it was May 1 this week, we're all talking about the change of season. For me, the Dry season means more food vans – and last week I got to taste test a brand new toastie and coffee van that I hear will be setting up for weekends at Windsurfers Corner later this month. Gracie's serves the classics: 'the reuben', the aptly named 'classic duo' (I'll let you figure that one out) and even some fun combos like the 'campfire beans' and the 'festive feast'. I tried the reuben and the festive feast, and they were both worthy of a shutout. Gracie's will be serving DTown coffee with the toasties - keep an eye out for the cute green van on the Nightcliff foreshore on Saturday mornings, kicking off from the end of the month. LOCALS TIP Although we aren't seeing the 'not a cloud in the sky' Dry season outlook yet – some of the key markers are there. I often think about what marks the 'start of the dry' for me – and I think my favourite one is the collective smiles you get on the Nightcliff Foreshore / East Point walk on the first morning that everyone can really *feel it*. There are also some of the obvious ones, like the yachts returning to Fannie Bay, or the first night you sleep without airconditioning – and even the appearance of swimmers at Nightcliff Beach again. I definitely know it's almost Dry season when my coffee order switches back to hot, and I start to spot people in jeans at the Parap markets. The biggest indicator? I just checked my calendar … I barely have a free weekend until September.
