Eighth annual salsa festival coming to Vacaville in August

Solano County's Festival de la Isla, a salsa dance and music celebration, will take place Aug. 15 at Pela Adobe Park, outside of Vacaville. The eighth annual event will bring top salsa music talent to the county and organizers expect to draw thousands of salsa enthusiasts from throughout the state and beyond.

This is a wonderful way to share the beauty of the Puerto Rican music and culture, said Linda August, founder of the festival. Bring the friends, the family, the distant cousins, your work acquaintances. You will love the foods, check out the arts and crafts, the island fashion show and dance to some of the hottest salsa music talent in the region.

This is Solano County's only festival dedicated to promoting and celebrating the Puerto Rican community and their identity as U.S. citizens. The event will run from 11 a.m. through 7 p.m. Entertainment will include DJ Bosco, who will play the music tracks and keep the stage program hopping, said organizers. This year's headliner, directly from New York, is Ray Sepulveda. Other hot salsa groups to perform include Orquesta Bakan, Grupo Avance, and the Salsamania Dance Group. Latin bands performing will showcase music ranging from salsa, merengue to Plena (Puerto Rican traditional rhythms). The Festival is a family-friendly showcase for Puerto Rican music, dance, art and culture.

Tickets are $15 in advance or $20 at the door. Children 12 and under are free. For more information on the Festival, how to become a 2009 sponsor or how to get to the PeГ±a Adobe Park, visit www.festivaldelaisla.com, or call CafГ© or Linda August at 426-5591.