Saturday morning’s cloudy skies and intermittent showers did not dampen the spirits at the ¡Viva Perry! Latino Festival 2026 parade, sponsored by Hispanics United for Perry (HUP), Timothy Farmer Law and others.
Following the 10:30 a.m. parade along Willis Avenue, Pattee Park filled with food vendors, merchandise sellers, peddlers of public information and fun and games for the kids at the annual festivities. By noon the sun was out, and people were having late-summer fun.
Musical entertainment was provided by Texas-born Amanda Solis in a musical tribute to Selena along with DJ Lizz and DJ Luis Mejia, DJ Ángel, Del Cid, DJ Alidra and Los Dos de la Banda.
Perry Mayor Dirk Cavanaugh helped officially open the festivities in Pattee Park, which live music and bands, folkloric dancing, authentic latino food, such as tacos and pupusas, and a kids zone with face painting, games and a petting zoo.
The ¡Viva Perry! Latino Festival is the primary fundraising event for HUP, with proceeds supporting scholarships for graduating seniors and continuing education. The festival has been a regular feature of Perry’s social and cultural life since 1993. In its early years, the event was held on or around Sept. 16 in order to mark Mexican Independence Day.
If you would like to support the HUP scholarship fund, kindly direct your contribution to HUP, P.O. Box 254, Perry, IA 50220.
