Latin Festival returns to Red Deer for second year
Published 2:11 pm Saturday, September 5, 2026
Red Deerians celebrated Latin American culture with dancing, live performances, food, vendors and more.
The second annual Latin Festival was hosted by the Central Alberta Inclusive Latin Association (CAILA) in Red Deer’s Capstone neighbourhood on Saturday, Sept. 5.
“Today’s all about bring community together,” said Melissa Monzon, CAILA president.
“We want to share the Latin American culture with whoever wants to be a part of this. This will be an afternoon of having fun, building community, sharing food, listening to music and dancing.”
The festival was originally scheduled to take place in June, but was postponed due to rain.
“We’re thrilled to be doing this festival for the second year. We love to see different faces and different people wanting to be part of the Latin American community,” Monzon said.
Monzon, who is originally from Peru, noted that CAILA has two major objectives: promoting Latin American culture in Red Deer and Central Alberta, and bringing the Latin American community together.
“I came here four years ago and one of the hardest things to do was finding community. A few of us from Latin America got together and decided to start this association,” said Monzon.
“We wanted to create events, share our cultures and meet each other. When you move here, some things are difficult. For example, you’ll always remember your first winter here. We have lots of activities we plan throughout the year for the Latin America community and anyone else.”
The Latin Festival was made possible with funding from the City of Red Deer through a Community Culture grant, Monzon said, adding the event is being held during Alberta Culture Days “to show that the Latino community is part of the Alberta community.”
The association is also set to have an event at the end of the month to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. It’s also planning to have a Day of the Dead celebration at the end of October.
For more information on CAILA, visit www.cailayqf.ca.
