Salsa music blared from speakers and couples danced in front of the stage at the seventh annual Downtown Latino Festival.
About 3,000 people attended the free event Saturday at the recently renamed Bo Diddley Community Plaza, said Wilfredo Melendez, the director of the festival and president of the Chamber of Hispanic Affairs.
"We take the opportunity every year to celebrate Hispanic culture in our community," Melendez said.
The event featured live music from acts including Umoja Orchestra, Estamos Unidos and Mariachi International.
Food vendors from local churches sold Hispanic food to raise money for charities, while clothing and jewelry stands sold items from Latin American countries.
Harvest of Hope Foundation, a local nonprofit organization that raises funds to aid migrant workers, ran a booth at the festival to raise awareness.
Jorge Pino, a UF graduate student from Panama, said he happened to walk past the gathering and decided to stay a while.
"It's very cool to see that there are a lot of different Hispanic cultures represented here," Pino said.
