SPRINGDALE -- The young women on the stage flipped the skirts of their brightly colored traditional dresses to create large circles that swirled around them. Their dance partners clutched their hands behind their backs and stepped up their footwork rhythmically.
The ballet folklorico -- a traditional Mexican dance -- was among several performances spotlighting Hispanic culture during a street fiesta Saturday in Springdale. It was one of many events drawing crowds to the city's downtown.
Street fiesta
The Latin Art Organization of Arkansas plans to have another fiesta next year, said Araceli Lopez, event organizer and organization director. The fiesta is a celebration that showcased the “Latin culture in Springdale” and included music, dance, food and the arts downtown Saturday.
Source: Latin Art Organization of Arkansas
Web watch
For more information on Latin Art Organization of Arkansas, check out the nonprofit organization’s website at http://latinartarka….
Source: Staff report
A sign at the fiesta pointed the way to the nearby Mill Street Farmers Market, which also was underway.
Coffee & Cars, a monthly downtown car show, ran from 8 a.m. to noon. Just as the fiesta started, about 10 a.m., the Saturday Spin -- a new family bike ride event set for every Saturday downtown -- was winding down.
Seven events were going on Saturday, according to an event calendar posted online by the Downtown Springdale Alliance. The alliance is a group focused on downtown revitalization efforts.
The alliance and the city are working together to draw more events downtown, said Melissa Reeves, director of public relations for the city.
"The city is excited and welcomes anyone who wants to have their event downtown," Reeves said.
Springdale is growing into a destination in Northwest Arkansas, especially on Fridays and Saturdays, Reeves said. Officials have made a concerted effort to encourage downtown events, but events also are growing by themselves to fit the needs of residents, she said.
The fiesta, the first in Springdale, was meant to draw the Hispanic community together and raise money for a dance and music school held by the Latin Art Organization of Arkansas, said Araceli Lopez, fiesta organizer and organization director.
Money from the fiesta will help pay for scholarships for students in the dance and music programs, she said.
The nonprofit organization, which Lopez started about two years ago, is dedicated to promoting and protecting "Latin Culture" and "keeping Latin heritage alive," according to a brochure at the event. That includes learning ballet folklorico and traditional rhythms and instruments.
At least 200 people attended the event, despite a slow start as low clouds threatened rain Saturday morning, Lopez said. By 1 p.m., people stood in lines at food trucks and booths, and a crowd of women tried on handmade shirts from Mexico inside another booth.
The crafts, food and music at the event illustrate the creativity, hard work and love evident in the Hispanic culture, said Adriana Silva of Rogers. Hispanic culture is a lot about friends, family and community, said Silva, who attended with her 13-year-old daughter, Angela Andrade.
"We're celebrating our Latin traditions and culture," Silva said.
"Proud culture," Angela said.
Lopez said she hopes the fiesta also shows other residents that Springdale is culturally diverse.
Nearby, Miriam Delatorre, 18, of Springdale stood in an ornate dress with silk flowers in her hair. She and several friends waited in the shade of a building for their turn to dance. Delatorre has been dancing about 13 years and said she was proud to be a part of Saturday's event.
"It's really beautiful to see people from different cultures coming together," she said.
Metro on 06/05/2016