The Waterloo Center for the Arts is partnering with Veridian Credit Union to host ¡Fiesta! for a fun-filled day of activities on Saturday, July 18. In presenting the event, the goal is to provide the community with a chance to experience a variety of Latino traditions. This family-friendly outdoor festival will feature Latino food vendors and live entertainment including traditional dance performances, dance lessons, a marimba performance, a Latin fusion hip-hop performance and kids’ activities, including crafts, games, dancing, a piñata, face painting and a prize drawing. The event kicks off at 1 p.m., and admission is free and open to the public. Additional support for ¡Fiesta! is provided by Friends of the Art Center.
Dance entertainment for the event will include traditional dance performances by Los Jovenes Embajadores (Young Ambassadors), a Mexican folkloric dance group of Des Moines, and Waterloo’s own traditional dance group, Palomas (The Doves). Heartland Marimba will take the stage to share classical and modern marimba arrangements featuring rhythms from Africa and Central America. Additionally, hip-hop artist L Catrino, a graduate of the Waterloo Hip Hop Literacy Program, will perform original raps mixed with Latino sounds. Guests may also enjoy Argentinian-style dance lessons offered on the RiverLoop Amphitheatre stage by performers and instructors Ace Ava and Nora Garda. Attendees who visit information booths can fill a bingo card and enter their card in a drawing to win prizes including piñatas and gift cards to local businesses.
Returning to the stage at the RiverLoop Amphitheatre, Grupo Ritual will be headlining Saturday’s concert. Grupo Ritual, based in Chicago, Illinois, will heat up the evening with their traditional Latin sound including modern and Caribbean rhythms, cumbia, bachata and norteñas.
Throughout the festival, food and beverages will be available for purchase from Taquizas Mexicanas, Dona Mari’s Tacos, Taqueria y Antojitos La Chatita, Cosina de Sujey and Catering, and Bosco’s.
Event schedule
1–9:30 p.m. | Performances, music, food vendors and more
2, 3 and 4 p.m. | Piñata
1–8 p.m. | Merchandise vendors, bounce house and face painting
5:30–9:30 p.m. | Live music by Grupo Ritual and L Catrino
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City of Waterloo
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