On Sat., September 5th, the family and I had the pleasure of attending the Independence, OR- Mexican Fiesta organized by Adrian Castro (@adriangcastro). Nested in downtown, in an open-air auditorium, the lively event drew, what seemed, the entire local Latino community, over 600+ people, 30+ food/vendor booths, 30+ live back-to-back performers (Banda Arrazando, Chris Mesa), and El Himno Nacional led by Consul General of Mexico- Portland. The grilled carne al pastor and its pineapple released an hypnotic aroma that kept families ordering more food. Jaime Miranda of M&M Swap Meet was on hand promoting his indoor soccer field. “The field” he explained, “gives youth goals and and an opportunity to be part of a team.” No question that futbol runs deep in our blood. Oregon State University MEChA members hurriedly sold raffles to raise money for student scholarships. As one undergrad Blanca Cabrerra put it, “College books keep getting expensive. We hope to alleviate those challenges with these scholarships.” Were you there? What ideas can you share with community organizers to make it more successful?
Downtown Portland
Last night, Fiestas Patrias concluded w/ a pre-reception at City Hall hosted by the Consul General and followed by El Grito in downtown Portland. There were literally thousands of people in attendance. The downtown event, hosted by El Hispanic News y Mas, was incredibly successful. The founders vision, Clara Padilla-Andrews, was clear: unify Latino Portlanders for one day at Pioneer Square and celebrate our cultura. We ran into old friends and met new ones. It was a time to celebrate and enjoy dancing, live music and the delicious food. No doubt, the vision will continue and increase in size. Share with us your thoughts on making the 2010 event more successful.
We hope to see you at the next one–
David Molina is the co-founder/CEO of BilingualHire. He can be reached directly at: david at bilingualhireco dot com, 1+(503) 708-4614 or you can follow his lifestream on Twitter.