BOISE, Idaho — This article originally appeared in the Idaho Press.
Food trucks, dance contests and a performance from A.B. Quintanilla — the brother of Selena — are all in order, as Boise’s Latino Fest is slated to set up shop in Cecil D. Andrus Park on Aug. 24.
COVID and logistical hurdles kept the celebration out of commission for five years, according to the Idaho Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s (IHCC) cultural project manager Odette Gutierrez, but now it is back by popular demand.
“We finally said, OK, this is the year we have to come back. People were asking,” Gutierrez said. “We’ve grown a lot.”
Between 2015, when Latino Fest launched, and 2019, the event expanded from a turnout of 500 attendees to 5,000, and became a project of the IHCC. For the first time this year, it will open with a parade and close with a late-night after-party.
Gutierrez says Latino Fest aims to represent all the countries and cultures of Latin America, whether through music, food or the colors of a national flag. Each year, the festival pays a musical tribute to a different Latin culture, with this year’s being Puerto Rico and featuring the bomba, salsa and reggaeton genres.
“We want to go through the history of Puerto Rico with music,” she said.
Artists in the lineup include Los Caipirinhos, the Perreo Boys and, of course, A.B. Quintanilla and his Kumbia All Starz. Numerous food truck vendors like Machu Picchu Peruvian, Churrolicious and CasaBlanca Cuban Grill will have a presence.
“Come hungry,” IHCC Executive Director Ivan Melendez advised.
The parade will kick off at 3:45 p.m. at the Grove Plaza and will proceed to Cecil D. Andrus Park, where the festivities will continue until 10 p.m. After that, the after party will be held at the Treefort Music Hall until 2 a.m.
“The essence of [Latino Fest] is that every Latino will have a piece of their country in the festival,” Gutierrez said. “They remember their town, their grandmas, their families, their food.”
This article originally appeared in the Idaho Press, read more on IdahoPress.com.
