Despite a somewhat soggy start, Fiesta D.C.’s food, music and culture took over a part of Pennsylvania Avenue outside the U.S. Capitol building.
“You get to experience different cultures — Salvadorian, Honduran, Nicaragua. It’s really diverse,” said D.C. resident Christell Miranda Lopez.
It’s a two-day event featuring a festival, dance competition and a parade.
“D.C. is the best place to actually melting pot of all of our traditions,” said Fiesta D.C. President Maria Patricia Corrales.
Honduras is the host country of this year’s festival, and dozens of vendors could be seen lined up along the street.
“We have a lot of entrepreneurs who have come from our country to show their services and their products,” said Guillermo Matuty, consul general of Honduras. “This is a great window for them.”
But this year’s celebration is a little different as fears over the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement continue.
Hispanic heritage festivals in cities like Chicago and Sacramento have been canceled or postponed, and a few festivals in the DMV area have been, too.
Montgomery County is canceling its festival scheduled for next month. The Salvadorian Festival in gaithersburg has also been canceled.
Fiesta D.C. organizers decided to hold this year’s festival as planned, saying that everyone who attends should feel safe.
“We don’t have much fear here. […] We welcome everyone to come,” Matuty said.
“To have fun. To represent culture. That’s what is really important,”
Fiesta D.C.’s parade is Sunday. It starts at 1 p.m. in the 700 block of Constitution Avenue Northwest.
from Local – NBC4 Washington https://ift.tt/ZmFuinM
0 Comments