‘Fiesta Hispana’ celebrates Hispanic culture in Kansas City’s West Bottoms
Kansas City’s annual Fiesta Hispana, coined the largest Hispanic festival in the Midwest, returned this year to transform the West Bottoms into a celebration of music, culture and community.
The three-day event, Friday through Sunday, brings a lineup of entertainment, authentic foods, art and community education to celebrate local and national diversity.
The event also works to promote appreciation for Hispanic contributions to U.S. society through cultural, educational and economic initiatives, according to the event’s website.
Historical exhibits and fine-art displays are featured throughout the event.
Founded in 1981 to coincide with National Hispanic Heritage Week, Fiesta Hispana has been held annually in the Barney Allis Plaza since the mid-80s. The event now attracts thousands of local and out-of-town visitors to Kansas City each year.
This year, the event was held just east of Hy-Vee Arena at American Royal Drive and Avenida Cesar E Chavez while the Barney Allis Plaza remains under construction.
“Whether you’re Hispanic or just intrigued by our vibrant culture, everyone is welcome to share and enjoy in unity of Fiesta Hispana,” event organizers said in a video about the event.
Music, dance from Latin America
A highlight of Fiesta Hispana is its entertainment lineup, which spans folkloric and Spanish dance, Mariachi and Tejano performances, and music from across Latin America.
On Saturday, entertainment kicked off with a Mariachi band from Guadalupe Centers High School, followed by their elementary Aztec Folklorico Dance Group.
Music groups and dancing is scheduled through 9:30 p.m. Saturday and again from 12:30 p.m. through 8 p.m. Sunday.
Taking a break from the 94-degree sun and getting her face painted on Saturday afternoon was 7-year-old Mia Arnold. She came to Fiesta Hispana with her mother, grandmother and sister.
Mia sat in a stool underneath a tent where a face-paint artist formed soft brush strokes into a purple flower on Mia’s cheek.
“She came excited to see the elementary school dancers,” Mia’s grandmother Carmen Jaramillo said. “I really like the music.”
Authentic Hispanic cuisine
A long line of people waited for fresh fruit cups and cold drinks. Several others waited to get their hands on tacos, empanadas and other savory delicacies.
Pouring ice-cold fruit drinks into a large cups on Saturday was Angelica Galvan, 46. Homemade agua frescas, made from scratch with real fruit, and their homemade horchata, prepared with rice, milk and cinnamon, are popular with customers, she said.
“It’s like a little part of where we’re from in Mexico,” Galvan said.
Galvan said she is honored to be among the vendors who help people celebrate Hispanic culture and be a part of people getting to experience something new.
“I like to see people enjoy the music, how they dress. It really makes people happy,” she said.
Part of the proceeds from Fiesta Hispana support League of United Latin American Citizens National Educational Services Centers, providing scholarships for local students, and benefit a variety of other community causes.
Fiesta Hispana has also gone on to support area churches, community radio, and awareness campaigns for health issues.
Fiesta Hispana is organized annually by the Greater Kansas City National Hispanic Heritage Committee, a local nonprofit.
Beyond the festival, the committee hosts additional events throughout the year, including a St. Patrick’s Tejano/Oldies Dance and a Halloween Dance in Midtown, as part of its mission of celebrating Hispanic heritage and giving back to the Kansas City community.
