Arlington’s annual celebration of Latin American culture is set to take over Arlington Mill Community Center tomorrow (Saturday) evening.
The free Festival Latinoamericano runs from 5-9 p.m. outdoors and 5-8 p.m. inside the community center at 909 S. Dinwiddie Street, along Columbia Pike. The event, organized by the county’s parks department, coincides with Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs through Oct. 15.
The entertainment lineup moves from Peru to Brazil to Cuba over the course of the evening:
- 5:15 p.m. — Sentimiento Peruano USA, performing the traditional Peruvian dance marinera norteña
- 5:30 p.m. — Brazilian singer and poet Rose Moraes
- 6:30 p.m. — Zumba with Jessica Rodriguez
- 7 p.m. — Cultural Fashion Show
- 7:20 p.m. — Flag Celebration
- 7:45 p.m. — Cielos de Púrpura y Oro, featuring cachiporras and dance
- 8 p.m. — Son Cubano Subterráneo
The fashion show invites community members to walk the runway in native or traditional attire representing their country and heritage. The county is still taking sign-ups through a participation form.
Closing out the night, the six-piece Son Cubano Subterráneo plays Cuban son — the style at the heart of salsa — on traditional instruments, according to the county.
Four food vendors are on the lineup: El Encanto Latino, Don Churro, La Perla and A Toda Madre. Inside, nine artisan vendors will sell goods ranging from jewelry and candles to coffee, alongside roughly two dozen community organizations, including Arlington Public Library, the Arlington Historical Society and the Girl Scouts of the Nation’s Capital.
Free parking is available in the community center garage, but spaces are limited and may fill quickly, the county said. Festival-goers are asked not to park at Columbia Pike Plaza, which is reserved for shopping center customers.
The county is instead encouraging people to walk, bike or take the bus. The ART 41 and 45 routes stop in front of the community center, and there’s a Capital Bikeshare dock on the plaza. Overflow parking is available at Barcroft Sports & Fitness Center, which is two stops away on the ART 45.
With rain in Saturday’s forecast, the festival is going on rain or shine. If the weather turns, all activities will move inside the community center, according to a county newsletter.
An RSVP isn’t required, but the county is asking attendees to register on Eventbrite to help with planning.
