Thousands of people flocked to Fayetteville Street Sunday afternoon for Raleigh’s 20th-annual La Fiesta del Pueblo. This year the festival moved from Moore Square Park to downtown Raleigh, advertising its location as City Plaza.
For the past 20 years, El Pueblo, Inc. has been organizing La Fiesta del Pueblo as a way to kick off Hispanic Heritage Month, which begins Sept. 15 and ends Oct. 15. Historically, the event has been held in the Expo Center on the NC State Fairgrounds, and for the past three years it was held in Moore Square Park.
In Moore Square, cultural tables and community information booths were scattered throughout the park, and various vendors and programs were located around the perimeter of the park.
The setup on Fayetteville Street, located in close proximity to other events such as the International Festival, created a different dynamic for Raleigh’s biggest annual Latin festival.
Earlier last week, La Conexión reported that Angeline Echeverría, executive director of El Pueblo, Inc., said it was time to move to a bigger venue for the festival’s 21st birthday.
“We grew too much, and we couldn’t fit in Moore Square,” Echeverría said. “This will allow us to have more space.”
The common question this year was whether the setup on Fayetteville Street was really an improvement to previous setups.
Sidney Gaston-Sanchez, a junior in biochemistry, said she liked the layout this year on Fayetteville Street.
“You walk vertical and then come back; you can’t miss anything,” Gaston-Sanchez said.
The main stage in City Plaza allowed everything to flow smoothly and served as a centerpiece to the festival. In previous years it was located in one corner inside the park and also located near the food booths, which placed people in a predicament. This year the stage served not only as a showcase, but also as a destination, for those yearning to learn more about Hispanic culture through song and dance. The main stage featured not only folkloric dance groups and local bands, but also concluded with La Sonora Dinamita, a cumbia group on tour from Colombia.
Attendees also had the opportunity to experience Hispanic and Latino culture through art. Various local artists with roots ranging from Puerto Rico to Mexico and Ecuador displayed their original works.
Leticia Alvarez, a Mexican painter, said the layout this year was an improvement from last year.
“This year was better because people could walk up and down the street, look in all directions; it’s more likely that they see the display and stop by,” Alvarez said.
