By Carrie McKim, Editor-in-Chief
For students who like dancing, great food and a good party, Winston-Salem usually isn’t the best place to be. Fiesta 2014 just might make the other 364 days of ordinary worth it.
This festival, held Sept. 13, combines the best aspects of Hispanic cultures from around the world to create one big “Fiesta” where the food is fabulous and the activities are endless. While food is often the main attraction for people, students from the all over the community show up downtown to enjoy everything else the festival has to offer.
“My favorite part of the festival is the music and how everyone gets into groups and starts dancing,” senior Angel Lopez said.
This year, in addition to the dance competition and children’s area that the Hispanic League festival traditionally featured, there was a flag parade, with flags from different Hispanic countries, as well as a pretty unique take on the “Running of the Bulls.” Participants in this particular activity ran down Holly Avenue and Spruce Street as members of the Triad Roller Derby team (who sported paper mache bull horns on their helmets) chased them. It’s the distinct touches like this that set Fiesta apart from other Winston-Salem functions and truly give citizens a taste of different cultures.
While Fiesta makes for an entertaining Saturday activity, it’s not just about dancing and empanadas.
“There’s a lot more to it,” freshman Emily Gaspar said. “It’s celebrating culture.”
The true value of this festival is the insight it provides about other countries and cultures of the world. Career Center Advanced Placement Spanish teacher Cecilia Jimenez likes the fact that the festival gives people from all over the city a chance to make new friends and try new things.
“It brings the community together, not just Hispanics, but everyone,” Jimenez said.
Jimenez, the volunteer coordinator for the festival, especially appreciates all the opportunities it creates for students to interact with Hispanic customs and culture. For many students, an extra incentive to attend (aside from getting to eat the best food Winston-Salem offers all year) is the promise of extra points on a test or a free homework pass. Both Career Center and Reynolds teachers often provide extra credit as one more reason to go and enjoy Fiesta, and Jimenez thinks it’s well worth the effort.
“(Students) get extra credit just for coming,” Jimenez said. “And they get the chance to practice Spanish and be immersed in the culture.”
While students generally don’t feel bad about taking advantage of this festival solely for the extra credit, an endless supply of churros isn’t the only benefit of the festival.
“The purpose of this festival is to collect scholarships for Hispanic students,” Jimenez said.
Even if people aren’t able to contribute financially, volunteering is a great way to take part in the festivities. Volunteers must be 16 or older, and there are all kinds of jobs to do, including decorating, helping out with children or working backstage.
With so many ways to get involved, Fiesta is a great way to get the entire community together, and students all over appreciate the value of that.
“It brings Winston-Salem culture together,” senior Sarah Browne said.
To learn more about the many events taking place during Fiesta, visit the website here.