2009 Festival date
September 26, 2009
About Festival Latino

Liliana Ortiz-Bermudez and Doris Orellana founded the Festival in 1995; with the mission to promote understanding and appreciation of Latin American culture within the Berkshires and surrounding areas. The "Festival" was held for the first time under the sponsorship of Lee Youth Association and High Meadows Foundation. It was organized by members of the Latino Community of South County at the First Congregational Church. By creating and participating in the festival, the Latino Community was able for the first time to show its enthusiasm and its capability of social integration with the rest of the population. With the participation of local Latino families and young Latino students from BCC, the presentation of dance groups was organized, with beautiful traditional costumes made by Latino housewives. Sales of traditional Latino dishes from different regions were set up, and the culture of the various countries in Latin America was displayed. The Festival was well received by the community-at-large in its first implementation. Since 1996, it has been incorporated into the celebration of the Lee Founders Weekend, which has helped the Latino Community show its membership in the greater Berkshire Community. The support of Pastor Bert Marshal of the Lee First Congregational Church, along with other organizations and various local businesses, has been crucial in the development and success of the Festival Latino.

The Festival has been produced successfully every year since. It has a several components that all have to come together every September during Lee Founders Day. The festival begins with participation by the Latino community in the Founder’s Day Parade. We put together all of our floats, music, marchers in ethnic costumes, and dancing by Liliana’s troupe The Multicultural Youth Dancers and community volunteers. The afternoon festivities take place in the public park in Lee, Massachusetts. For six hours the festival presents free folkloric entertainment and, following the Festival, a party with paid admission at a local restaurant/bar featuring an evening of Latin dancing with live music provided by Latin bands from New York

HISTORIA-
La comunidad latinoamericana de los Berkshires se complace en participar nuevamente en las festividades anuales en conmemoración de los fundadores de la ciudad de Lee, conocidas como "Founders Weekend". Nuestra voz se hace sentir con el Festival Latino de los Berksires.
Este festival nació de las mentes soñadoras de Liliana Ortiz-Bermudez y Doris Orellana, quienes hicieron realidad el sueño de hacer conocer públicamente ante la población de Lee y de los Berkshires la riqueza cultural, la diversidad étnica, el hermoso folclor, el arte milenario y el noble sentimiento de nuestra raza. El Festival se celebró por primera vez y en forma independiente en Julio 14 de 1995 Fue organizado por miembros de la comunidad latinoamericana del sur del Condado, en el parque de la Main Street en Lee. Con la colaboración de las familias locales y los jóvenes Latinos del BCC se organizó la presentación de danzas folclóricas con vistosos trajes típicos. Se organizaron ventas de deliciosos platos típicos de diferentes regiones, y se dio a conocer la cultura de diversos países de Latinoamérica.
En su primera celebración el festival fue bien aceptado por la población en general. A partir de 1996 fue incorporado en las celebraciones del Lee Founders’ Weekend

2004 organizers

Founder Liliana Bermúdez

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