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Expo Latino Festival: 25th Anniversary celebration
Calgary – On August 21st of this year, The Hispanic Arts Society (HAS) celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Expo Latino Festival! HAS, the nonprofit organizer of the festival, decided to celebrate this event at a new venue: The B!G Art Drive-in (220 St. George’s Drive NE Calgary, AB, Telus Spark’s parking lot). The B!G Art Drive-In allowed visitors to enjoy a safe, socially-distant experience from the comfort of their own vehicles.
“Initially, we had some doubts about choosing a new venue for our event since we had never used a traditional drive-in format. But when we realized that our event landed on a cold and rainy day, it became the perfect option. The venue had a large stage, various LED screens, and an FM transmitter that allowed visitors in their vehicles to listen to everything that was happening on stage,” explains Mariela Parra, president of the Hispanic Arts Society and artistic director of the Expo Latino Festival.
The master of ceremonies, César Altamirano, gave his welcome speech and presented the Letter of Recognition to the founder of the Expo Latino Festival, Carmen Gálvez. Mrs. Gálvez was unable to attend the event and María Esther Fernández, a member of the Board of Directors of the Hispanic Arts Society, received the recognition on her behalf.
Performers
Flamenco Jaleo kicked off the artistic part of the event by providing an upbeat flamenco show that gave visitors an authentic taste of Spain. Flamenco Jaleo is made up of the talented artists Silvia Temis (singer, dancer), Maria Regnier (dancer), Francesca Canalizo (dancer) and Tosh Hayashi (flamenco guitarist).
Following the flamenco performance, the bands Agua Quina and Distrito Salsa played live urban music and Salsa.
DJ Danni put on a lively and colourful show featuring the latest urban and reggaeton hits, among other genres.
Offering Latin snacks and meals, the food trucks of Los Chamos, Extra Yummy, and Tacos El Nopal made their debut at an Expo Latino event.
Recognition
Mariela Parra received a Letter of Recognition from the Mayor of Calgary, Naheed Nenshi, for the 25th anniversary of the Expo Latino Festival. Likewise, Mrs. Parra gave a Letter of Recognition to the Travel and Tourism entrepreneur and radio host, Jorge Romberg, for having supported all the 25 editions of the Expo Latino Festival.
HAS is grateful for the support of all the organizations involved in this celebration: Calgary Arts Development, City of Calgary, Telus Spark, B!G Art Inc., and RISE UP.
HAS would also like to recognize its Board of Directors, volunteers, performers, food vendors, contractors, and attendees for making this celebration memorable.
See you at 26th Expo Latino Festival!
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