The Arts Council of Park City & Summit County wrapped up the annual Latino Arts Festival on Sunday after a vibrant weekend of celebrating Latin American culture and its contributions, featuring local vendors, food trucks, artists and performers who each added their own unique flavor.
The opening day of the festival was dedicated entirely to the country of Brazil, providing an in depth exploration of the traditional dances and music, like samba and capoeira, from its diverse regions.
“We are proud to be here to represent not only our country, but our deep love for its culture, music, dance and tradition,” said a spokesperson for dance group Aquarela do Brasil. “Today we invite you on a cultural journey through the colors, rhythms and stories of Brazil.”
Earlier this year, event organizers questioned whether or not to move forward with the event given the tense political climate and rising fears within the Latino community. After receiving encouraging feedback from the artists, who expressed that now, more than ever, cultural visibility and unity matters, organizers chose to hold the events as usual.
From start to finish, the three-day festival showcased dozens of performances representing a variety of cultures and countries including Chile, Mexico, Peru, Colombia, Bolivia, Venezuela, Argentina and Puerto Rico — inviting those familiar with the traditions, and those experiencing them for the first time, to sway their hips or at least nod along to a new beat.
The crowd returned refreshed and ready for action each day, despite the weekend heat, as a new lineup of performers brought fresh energy to the Canyons Village Forum stage.
Attendees explored the event by sampling food and refreshments, and by visiting the dozens of artist and vendor booths in the grassy plaza by the stage and El Mercadito, a market experience introduced to the festival this year.
Pamela Echegaray, owner of jewelry business La Cuna, which was part of El Mercadito, said that her experience at the festival was overwhelmingly positive. Many attendees complimented her work and expressed how meaningful they found it.
Echegaray said she feels grateful that people can see themselves reflected in the product, noting that, for her, this sense of identity is a reward in itself.
The diversity of the festival audience seemed to reflect a sense of unity despite differences, Echegaray noted. She emphasized the importance of community support, especially for Latino-owned small businesses, many of which rely on events like the festival as their primary source of income.
“By supporting small businesses, you’re supporting a family behind it,” Echegaray said.
Over 20 artists and artisans filled the mercadito tent where several free art workshops, portrait drawings and face painting were also being held.
Spanish artist Jairo Dealba, who has participated in the arts festival for the past three years, said his favorite part of the event is the sense of community.
“It’s been really good, very smooth,” he said, speaking about this year’s festival. “It’s been really peaceful, really amicable, everybody’s super friendly, very accepting.”
Adding to his thoughts about the festival and what keeps him coming back, Dealba added that he’s grown closer and closer with the people every year.
“That gives us a sense of like, ‘We have to do this every year.’ It’s like our duty, and then we come, and it gets better and better every time,” he said.
Now in its ninth year, the Latino Arts Festival continues to serve as a cultural bridge. Its welcoming atmosphere reaches beyond the artist community and into the broader public.
“It’s really cool to have the opportunity to see so many different things in one place and experience things that are out of your normal worldview,” said attendee Chantal Menlove. “And get to see these people that have created lives here.”
The festival coincided with nationwide “No Kings” protests on Saturday, which were held in Park City, Heber City and Kamas as well as in Salt Lake City. Though the timing was unplanned, the overlap underscored the urgency and relevance of the weekend’s celebration.
“More than anything, I love to see how much love is shown to everybody,” said Park City resident Carla Good. “To see everybody feel welcome and people wanting to know where you’re from, what you’re doing here, why your art is a certain way. It makes you forget everything that is going on around this country right now, and makes you feel love and accepted and welcome, and that’s amazing.”
