The eighth annual Downtown Latino Festival was a medley of fresh food and dirty dancing Saturday that drew Gainesville residents from more than 15 Latin American countries.
The event drew as many as 3,000 people, who gathered in the Bo Diddley Community Plaza in celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month, according to an article in The Gainesville Sun.
A nontraditional presentation of the flags of Latin American countries kicked off the event.
As each country was called, natives responded by cheering and whistling. Representatives from each country danced their way across the stage waving the country's flag. After all 18 were announced, they danced off the stage in a conga line.
Panama native Lucia Stiles said she was excited to participate in an event that included so much of Gainesville's Latin American community.
"I think the event is wonderful," she said. "The Hispanic population here in Gainesville all shares the same things like our language, culture and music."
Aside from mingling with other Latinos, Stiles had business to do Saturday. She spent part of the festival promoting Spanish-owned Saul Silber Properties, which manages properties in Gainesville.
Some guests lined up an hour before the festival and began to eat traditional dishes such as arroz con pollo (chicken with rice), tamales, guava, cheese pastries and cheese quesadillas.
The performance that drew the most people was by a Brazilian cultural arts exchange group, who specializes in capoeira, a form of martial arts.
Performing in all-white outfits, the group combined dancing, clapping and kicking.
"I feel like many people here don't remember that Brazil is a part of Latin America," said Anaili Triana, a Gainesville resident who said the performance was mesmerizing.
