Festival Latino 2011, held August 13 and 14, drew more than 50,000 people to Genoa Park during the two-day event, an attendance increase of 42% over 2010. 2011 is the third year CAPA has produced the Festival, after being cut from City of Columbus budgets in 2008. The event strives to celebrate family and community with two days of children’s activities, music, food, fashion, art, and dance from the heart of Latin America.
Festival attendance in 2009 was 20,000. Attendance in 2010 was 35,000, reflecting a 75% increase from 2009 to 2010. Festival Latino began as a five-hour pilot project in 1996. Due to an overwhelming response from our community, the festival expanded to two days in 1997. The common elements each year have been lively music, dancing in the streets, cultural and arts workshops for children and adults, Latin American cuisine and community information tents. Over the years, Festival Latino has experienced a substantial growth in the number of performing artists, workshops, vendors, participating community groups, and audience.