Fiestaval Latin Festival spiced up for 2012
More bands, more dancing and more food have joined the mix to spice up Red Deer’s city centre for the third-annual Fiestaval Latin Festival on Saturday.
Vehicle traffic will be blocked on Ross Street at 49th Avenue from 11 a.m. to late into the night to bring a program that has been significantly enhanced from last year.
This year’s Fiestaval introduces many new performers, including a 12-piece mariachi band from Mexico to take the stage in the beer gardens from 7:15 to 9:30 p.m.
Artistic co-ordinator Christian Greiffenstein said on Monday that he expects the 2012 edition to be a significant improvement over last year’s, which came perilously close to being cancelled because the site was not secured until a month and a half before the celebrations were set to start.
Organizers feel that better organization, better communication and a wider range of performers and vendors will draw in a much larger crowd, said Greiffenstein.
He expects to see 8,000 to 10,000 guests to come down for the celebration.
Fiestaval was organized to showcase Latin culture, recognizing that Red Deer and the surrounding area has become home to a rapidly growing community of people who have come from Latin countries from Mexico south to the tip of South America, he said.
“Our culture is one rich in celebration. We love to gather and dance and Fiestaval allows us to do that.”
Visit www.fiestaval.ca for a complete schedule.
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