“A nivel de vendedores va a haber artesanía de desde artesanía azteca, mexicana, artesanía de países centroamericanos … también van a tener recursos comunitarios. Allí vas y puedes tener información y salir hasta con cita, pues para qué te voy a decir. Hacer tus impuestos atrasados de forma gratuita”, ella dijo. “Van a estar artistas, pintores latinos, como es el caso de Mónica López o es el caso de Gilberto Rodríguez, ambos han participado en murales, tanto en la ciudad de Wilmington, como en la ciudad de Seaford, de Milford.”
“For vendors, there will be crafts ranging from Aztec, Mexican to Central American crafts … they’ll also have community resources,” she said. “You can go there and get information and even make an appointment. You can even pay your back taxes for free.”
“There will be artists, Latino painters, like Mónica López and Gilberto Rodríguez, both of whom have participated in murals in Wilmington, Seaford and Milford,” she added.
The celebration will also showcase traditions from across Latin America through folkloric performances representing communities including Mexico, the Dominican Republic and El Salvador.
Food will be another central part of the afternoon, with vendors serving dishes and drinks tied to different Latin American cultures, including empanadas, pupusas, tostadas and coffee featuring beans and flavors from different countries.
For Esteban Somalo, the festival is ultimately an opportunity for people to learn more about the Latino community and the contributions Hispanics have made to Delaware and the United States at-large.
“Me gustaría que aprendiesen un poquito más de lo que son los hispanos. Eh en que el festival sirviese como un puente de conocimiento, como un puente cultural y que se den cuenta que los hispanos hemos venido y venimos a este país a aportar, no a llevarnos,” ella dijo. “Al final todos somos personas, seres humanos con las mismas inquietudes, las mismas alegrías, las mismas tristezas, queremos lo mismo,” dijo.
“I would like [attendees] to learn a little more about who Hispanics are,” she said. “I want the festival to serve as a bridge of knowledge, a cultural bridge, and for them to realize that we Hispanics have come and continue to come to this country to contribute, not to take away.”
“At the end [of the day], we are all people, human beings with the same concerns, the same joys, the same sorrows, we want the same things,” she said.
The Sept. 20 festival is free to attend, though visitors will be required to pay the standard entrance fee to Bellevue State Park.
Editor’s note: WHYY has partnered with “HOY en Delaware” to produce stories in English and Spanish, with a focus on Delaware’s Latino population.
