The Coalition of Latino Leaders, CLILA, will hold its Seventh Latino Taste Festival this coming Sunday in downtown Dalton. There will be traditional, authentic Latino food from different regions of México, and other countries like Perú, Venezuela, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and more.
The venue will be located at the corner of Hamilton Street and Crawford Street in Dalton, under the bridge next to Dalton Depot.
Latino food vendors from the community will start serving at, noon and they will continue until 7 p.m., while attendees can enjoy traditional music and dances performed by groups from different Latin American countries and regions.
"We’ll have a dancing group representing Peru, another one representing Colombia, our own CLILA's Mexican Children Folk Dance Group, now our Adult Group, a mariachi group and a band, as well as other groups coming from Atlanta, for you to enjoy," organizers said. "The Festival is a result of a true community effort, with regular people - moms, grandmas, men and youth - who are cooking and showcasing delicious dishes from their hometown, and many passionate volunteers.
"Dalton is a diverse city, where a vibrant Latino population thrives and contributes in many aspects to the fabric of the city. Most Latinos in Dalton are from Mexico (about 85 percent), but there are many other countries represented, such as Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Colombia, Venezuela, Perú, Uruguay and many more. Even though we are all Latinos, we are very diverse too from country to country. And even within each country, there are many different regions and traditions.
"The Seventh Latino Taste Festival will celebrate the Latino colorful authentic food, music and dances, so you can taste savory dishes, or sweet, or tangy, or creamy, or spicy or mild, but all delicious. Come and enjoy music, dances and food with other cultures. We recognize ourselves as living in a beautiful country and city that we love dearly, while at the same time we value our history and roots.
"Latin American countries have rich and complex cultures from at least 15 centuries ago, and there is too much to learn and share, from the ancient Aztecs, Mayans and Incas to the Mestizos, as well as different tribes and ethnic groups. The food and the performances are a reflection of those cultures.
"Food vendors include Mexican plates, from the traditional tacos, as well as pozole –a náhuatl word for hominy, a traditional pre-Spaniards colonization soup or stew, and the traditional tamales, enchiladas, mole, which typically contains a mixture of chiles, nuts, seeds and unsweetened chocolate, tomatoes, raisins and various spices.
"From Venezuela we’ll have the traditional arepas --a flatbread made of ground maize dough or cooked flour served with various garnishments.
"From Perú we’ll have anticuchos, an ancient delicacy that includes grilled meat garnished with potatoes.
"Besides many other delicious foods, Pupusas will be sold at the Festival too, a traditional food from El Salvador, made from finely ground wheat or corn flour. Also El Salvador will present an exotic dish made from yucca (a root).
"Performances include pre-Spaniards music with Aztec dancers, to folk dances from different periods and regions of Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Perú, Colombia and Uruguay.
"CLILA is the only Latino non-for-profit organization of its kind in Northwest Georgia, working here in Dalton since 15 years ago.
"CLILA is an honest voice for the local Latino community, not moved by personal or group interests. It promotes Latinos civic participation, and cultural diversity. It improves the quality of life for Latinos, offers opportunities for Latino leadership development striving to have representation in the community at large. We also fight for equal opportunities. We provide various services: English classes, citizenship classes, entrepreneurship assistance, business development, we visit legislators to talk about issues that affect us, and we have a very active voter registration/education project, among many other services.
"We’ll have more sponsors this year: Peyton’s Southern, Kinetic, the Community Foundation of Northwest Georgia; Vazquez and Servi Immigration Law Firm; Georgia Association for Primary Healthcare Inc, ES Pro Audio, Dr. Pablo Pérez, DJ Paco, DJ Mr. Green, Franco’s Jumpers, GioSamy Signs and Moral-x Salon.
"Also we’re thankful to the Downtown Dalton Development Authority for allowing us to use downtown streets to showcase our food and music."
Event video: https://www.facebook.com/CLILAnwga/videos/829422121187608.
Event link: https://fb.me/e/dJ1noLP7k.