Georgetown Welcomes Annual Festival Hispano to Benefit La Esperanza

Festival Hispano offers Latino cuisine, entertainment and education.

On Sunday, Sept. 18, La Esperanza will hold the annual Festival Hispano, welcoming thousands of spectators to the streets of downtown Georgetown, Del.

Festival Hispano dates back to 1995, serving as an annual event to bring the diverse cultures of Delaware together. The event, previously held in Millsboro, outgrew the baseball fields it once called home and Georgetown was able to take it in.

Kevin Gilmore serves on the board of directors at La Esperanza and is excited the event is coming back to its roots.

“It’s going to be a big street fair and I think it’s really neat the town welcomed it back,” Gilmore says. “It’s centrally located in the county and there is a lot more parking.”

In addition to the changes in growth and location, Kevin Andrade, President of The Voice Radio Network, has helped diversify the event each year. Year after year, Andrade has brought nationally known music to the event. This years performances include Giselle Tavera, La Sonora Dinamita and Raul Morel.

Andrade is apart of the Latino community and has lived in Delaware for 13 years. He understands the need for various communities to experience different cultures and for Latinos themselves to celebrate their culture.

“They can share food, tradition, music— it’s a showcase of the Latino community,” Andrade says.

In addition to showing off some Latino flare, all proceeds from the event will benefit La Esperanza which will help the organization’s community center in order to assist thousands of families each year, predominately women and children.

Festival Hispano is La Esperanza’s biggest event fundraiser with 90 vendors participating. According to Andrade and Gilmore, last years event brought in 6,000 people.

“It’s a place for not only Latinos to come but for all walks of life to come and enjoy Hispanic food, music and culture,” Gilmore says.

Amayuras Perez, client specialist at La Esperanza, has been with La Esperanza for three years but has attended the festival ever since she was a little girl. She says it’s an event you won’t want to miss.

“Being able to bring the families together and come into the festival La Esperanza is sponsoring and have a great time with the families while helping La Esperanza is what makes it special,” Perez says.

Perez says she’s looking forward to seeing the festival grow in years to come. To learn more about the event, go to www.facebook.com/events/321582861509458.