Hispanic groups to unite for fiesta and parade

For the international Hispanic community, Sept. 15 is an important date. It marks the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs through Oct. 15, and Independence Day for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua.

For the Las Vegas Hispanic community, the date marks the second annual Fiesta Las Vegas Latino Parade & Festival downtown, an event free and open to the public. It's a celebration designed to recognize the cultures of 22 Latin American countries and valley organizations.

Sheila Macias, the festival's business director, said the event helps connect these Hispanic organizations throughout the valley.

"Our biggest thing is uniting all of the associations," Macias said. "We're spread out all over (the valley). For us, it was really important to create an event that unites them all together."

Macias said the parade, set to begin at 10 a.m. on the corner of Fourth Street and Gass Avenue, opens with the display of the 22 countries' flags. Its opening parade is set to feature floats, marching bands, folklore groups and Mexican performing artist Graciela Beltrán as the grand marshal. Following the parade, the festival is set from 12:30 to 10 p.m. at the Fremont Street Experience. The festival is slated to feature food from the various countries, a kids' zone, live entertainment from local musicians, a Miss Fiesta Las Vegas pageant and an awards ceremony.

Rocio Ledesma, the event's director of operations, said the festival is designed to be educational .

"It's an event (where) people can enjoy themselves and learn from other countries," Ledesma said. "There's entertainment and food they can enjoy, as well, and they're able to take that back and enjoy their own heritage, too."

Ledesma said more than 12,000 people attended last year's festival and anticipates 15,000 participants for its second installment. The committee has added more food vendors and entertainers, such as Las Vegas-based Local 34, to its lineup in hopes of attracting more locals.

"We want this to be (the residents') event," Macias said. "We want the participants to be proud to showcase their traditions. This event helps to build a sense of commonality among groups and fosters that unity by focusing on the common elements they all have."

Keeping the parade and festival free for the public, Macias said, is a major aspect of the Fiesta events.

"We're a family-friendly event, and especially during hard times, it's great to be able to bring a free event to the Las Vegas community," Macias said. "A lot of people today don't have the ability to pay for concerts in arenas. Having the ability to bring that to Las Vegas is special for us."

With the success of last year's festival and the anticipation of similar turnout at this year's event , the committee hopes to expand . Macias said Fiesta looks to establish a scholarship fund and expand to various other community events in the near future.

"We want to be known as the organization that brings these cultural events to the city," Ledesma said. "We want people to count on the support that we can bring that to the community."

For more information on the Fiesta Las Vegas Parade & Festival, call
608-1278 or visit fiestalasvegas.org.