By Jennifer Kohlhepp, Managing Editor
HIGHTSTOWN — The Latino Festival turned Rocky Brook Park into a fiesta on Saturday.
A celebration of cultural differences, the third annual Latino Festival of Hightstown and East Windsor brought the community together with an array of Latin American cuisine, live Latin music, dance and a whole host of on-site vendors and exhibitors.
Mayor Larry Quattrone welcomed everyone at the festival, saying that Hightstown is a nice little community that celebrates its diversity everyday.
“Hightstown is about everybody,” Mayor Quattrone said.
He continued, “We like these special events because they are good for everyone, especially the children. To see people together and everyone smiling, that’s what it’s all about.”
Sen. Linda Greenstein (D-Middlesex) commended the organizers for a successful event.
“It’s a great crowd and a great day,” Sen. Greenstien said. “It would be great if more members of the community came out to learn about the cultures of our fine citizens.”
Paul Perez, of the Latino Leadership Alliance of New Jersey, said the event is more than a festival and is part of an educational process.
He said when people talk about their cultural differences and share them with others there is less mystery and concern about what’s happening in different parts of the community.
The purpose of the festival was to promote intercultural awareness and understanding.
Mercer County Freeholder Ann Cannon said the festival far surpassed her expectations.
“The entertainment has just been phenomenal,” she said. “Music is an universal language and even if you don’t know what the words mean you can enjoy the melody.”
Hightstown Councilman Connor Montferrat said the festival has been a long time coming, noting that the planning committee and organizers worked for more than half a year putting the event together.
“This is the fun part — to enjoy the music and dancing,” he said. “This is great for the community and the surrounding communities.”
He noted he met people visiting from South Brunswick, Woodbridge and as far away as Clinton.
Hamilton Councilwoman Ileana Schirmer said, “I like to see the Hispanic community come together to promote their culture and be so proud of their culture. In Hightstown they have the opportunity to express their culture and that’s what makes this community great.”
Juan Cobos and Carlos Fernandez coordinated the event. They were delighted with the turnout.
“It’s a perfect day,” Mr. Fernandez said
Having people view the exhibits created by local families and talk about culture was the highlight of the event for Mr. Fernandez.
“That’s the kind of conversation we were hoping for,” Mr. Fernandez said.
The multicultural program not only featured educational exhibitions representing different Latin American and Caribbean countries, arts and crafts activities and traditional foods but it also showcased music and dance traditions of diverse Latino communities residing in the region.
Artists featured this year included the Alborada Spanish Dance Theatre from Fords performing flamenco music and dance from Spain; Ballet Folklorico Peru of Paters; GAMAE Garifuna Performing Arts Company of Piscataway performing Afro Caribbean traditions originating in Saint Vincent and Belize, the New York-based Yachak Kallary performing dances from Ecuador. Other local groups performing at the event this year included Cultura Maya (Guatemala), Herencias (Ecuador), Duo Zorzal (Nueva Cancion), Recordando a Mi Tierra (Costa Rica) and others.
The event was organized by the Hightstown-East Windsor Latino Festival Committee, with support from Rise — A Community Service Partnership and local business and community organizations. The program was also made possible in part by the Mercer County Cultural and Heritage Commission through funding from the Mercer County Board of Chosen Freeholders, and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.
The members of the Festival Organizing Committee were David Abalos, Jennifer Bernal, Josh Jackson, Luis Lavado, Josefina Pasimo, Jorge Rod, Cesar Segura, Fabian Vallejos, Carlos Avila, Victor Fernandez, Johanna Jackson, Nina Lavado, Elsa Patino, Diane Romulus, Maria Silverio, Dereck Avila, William Hernandez, Maitiel Jiminez, Alexa Amrtinez, Jorge Quintanilla, Giro Rodriguez and Lucia Torres.
The committee would like to thank the 40 volunteers who helped on the day of the event, the Borough of Hightstown, Rev. Patrick McDonnell and St. Anthony Padua Catholic Church, Latter Day Saints Mission, Wells Fargo Bank, Karen Abad and all the exhibitors, restaurants, advertisers and sponsors for their parts in making the event possible.
