LatinoFest stirs some 'moolah' into Baltimore's 'salsa'

Just like salsa, a word that in Spanish means both sauce and the hot, hip-swinging music genre, the Hispanic community in Baltimore keeps on spreading. And salsa is just one of the ingredients on the menu at LatinoFest, an event that for 29 years has been the ultimate celebration of the metaphoric melting pot that continues to mold Baltimore City.

This Saturday and Sunday, massive crowds from all over the area will gather at Patterson Park to see, hear and taste the many flavors and rhythms of Hispanic culture. Each year, LatinoFest attracts between 40,000 and 50,000 people of Latin American descent, with the largest share of attendees coming from the Baltimore metropolitan and surrounding counties, followed by residents from Washington and Virginia. This means 40 to 50 thousand people who will be spending money on tickets, having a meal or a drink, staying in hotels, shopping, taxis - all of which brings money into the City's economy at festival time.

To Hector Manzano, President of the Education Based Latino Outreach (EBLO) “the organization behind the 29-year-old festivalв the growing response to the festival throughout the years is a positive one in many levels. Right now, everything that you hear about Latinos in this country is negative, so it's understandable when our people embrace a festival where Latin culture is highlighted, where they can feel the pride of the Latino culture. One of the biggest goals of this festival is to highlight the positive things about Latinos, to show how we are an ethnic group that contributes so much to Baltimore.

PUTTING BALTIMORE ON THE MAP

James Kraft, Baltimore City Councilman for District 1, explains the reasons why he wholeheartedly supports this festival and other ethnic festivals around the city. These celebrations,в he says, just remind us of who we are and where we came from. They celebrate the historic diversity of Southeast Baltimore. Generations upon generations of folks have literally gotten off the boat in Southeast Baltimore and stayed and made it the community that it is. And if there is a way to describe the Hispanic community in the Patterson Park area, it's vibrant.

The word seems to have spread and certainly, the success of this event has turned the area into the center of attention for businesses intent on reaching this demographic. This is evident in the amount of big-name multinational corporations that now endorse the festival, such as MacDonald's, Goya, Verizon, Heineken, Toyota and Western Union. Hector Manzano agrees when he says, the fact that we have attracted this kind of support is proof that these brands recognize the impact and importance of LatinoFest within the Hispanic population. One of the biggest benefits for sponsors is that they are right there with the community. It's not just a logo or a product name; they have direct interaction with the community they are targeting. In our community, touching, tasting, interacting with a product is always going to be more effective.

For local businesses and community organizations, many of which have supported the festival from its inception, this is a rare opportunity to get their name out in the community and reach their local Hispanic customers on a deeper level. But the benefits don't just stop there. Jose Ortiz, co-owner of All-State Floors and Construction “a leading construction company in the area who is sponsoring this year's festival “believes that, by supporting the LatinoFest, we raise the morale among our Hispanic employees and, at the same time, make our contribution to the community.

BEYOND THE CELEBRATION

By supporting business, generating media exposure and providing thousands of dollars in tax revenue, the LatinoFest, and by extension the community it celebrates, now have firm, credible evidence about the value both bring to the City, not only in terms of demonstrable economic gains, but in the benefits to the overall culture of the city and the various ethnic pockets that inhabit it. Long after the salsa music has died down and the crowds go home, the festival will help Baltimore in its quest to portray itself as a cosmopolitan city, one that revels in its diversity. The ultimate winners, though, are the Latino adults and children who benefit from the numerous classes, and workshops that the proceeds from this festival help to support through EBLO. And that is, perhaps, the most beautiful tribute to the late Jose Ruiz, EBLO's founder, whose vision of a salsa-loving, Latino-friendly Baltimore this festival epitomizes.

Author: Elianne Ramos is an Examiner from Baltimore. You can see Elianne's articles on Elianne's Home Page.