The annual HoLa Festival was held Saturday and Sunday to share and celebrate the diversity of Latino cultures in Market Square.
The HoLa Festival is part of the Latino non-profit organization, HoLa Hora Latina. The organization hosts the energetic festival to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, and promote the culture of Hispanic countries and traditions in the United States.
The festival showcased multiple local vendors, foods and performances. Countries represented included Bolivia, Mexico, Venezuela, Panama, Guatemala and others.
Although the event was free and open to all, attendees could purchase tickets to buy various food items such as empanadas, tacos, churros and desserts at booths selling authentic cuisine.
Local vendors including non-profit and handmade art businesses such as Ayelet’s Style and Nuestros Niños Charity sold items reflecting Hispanic heritage.
Ayelet’s Style is a specialty local shop that sells indigenous Mexican artisan work. Ken Berck, co-owner of Ayelet’s, spoke on the festival’s significance in the community.
“(The festival) was great. It had great food and awesome music and it was a ton of fun. (The event was important) because anything that helps to integrate culture and helps bring people together is great for the community,” Berck said.
The colorful hand-embroidered clothing, accessories and home decor items were available for visitors to purchase and take home a part of the Mexican culture and traditions.
Nuestros Niños Charity was another local vendor that sought to share their unique and personal missions to the HoLa Festival. NNC sells merchandise purchased from vendors, locals and organizations in Guatemala, to sell in the United States to benefit families in Guatemala.
What once started as an adoption support group, quickly turned into an outreach that helps develop household technologies and provide sustainable income for those in Guatemala.
“We have been part of HoLa for many years, and HoLa is one of our favorite places to come. The crowds are good, the people are friendly and it is a welcoming environment…The music is fun and the weather was good,” founder of Nuestros Niños Charity Matt Grussing said.
A Parade of Nations was held at HoLa Festival to allow representatives of different countries display traditional attire and homeland patriotism with Knoxvillians.
Aiany Cartagena Febus is a junior studying biomedical engineering at the University of Tennessee, and she shared how she felt about the importance of the festival.
Febus said, “The HoLa Festival is one of the biggest cultural events afforded to the Hispanic community in Knoxville, and in Eastern Tennessee in general. In my experience, I strive when I am around my people. We find comfort in being able to speak Spanish with one another, share our food and music, and celebrate our respective cultures in general.”
“Without that comfort, being away from family would be all the more difficult. Although we come from different countries and speak different dialects, we are all part of the same community, and supporting each other through events like these is essential,” Febus said.
Febus said that this festival not only serves as a celebration of the Hispanic culture but also educates the community on the cultures and values of Hispanic and Latino countries.
“It is especially important that we celebrate our culture in light of the current political climate, and the general disdain many seem to have against the Hispanic community or people of other races and nationalities in general. Knowledge is the best combatant to ignorance, and as a community, it is our responsibility to provide that knowledge of our culture to others,” Febus said.
The Hola Festival draws crowds to Market Square on Sept. 29, 2018.
