Community Corner

La Casa de Don Pedro Hosts Family Festival

Sixth-annual event held to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month

More than 3,500 people celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month on Sept. 29 at Newark’s 6th Annual Festival de la Familia – Latino Family Festival - on Bloomfield Avenue. Festival de la Familia Latina, presented by OneMain Financial, was hosted by La Casa de Don Pedro, the City of Newark and the County of Essex. La Casa de Don Pedro served as the community organizer with support from the city, more than 30 community organizations and service providers, and dozens of volunteers who provided activities and information for families. DJ Lady C served as the deejay and Anibal Alvelo, an employee of La Casa de Don Pedro, served as emcee.

 Photos can be viewed here.

 La Casa de Don Pedro is a community-based development corporation and provider of comprehensive services that has been working with and serving residents of greater Newark since 1972. La Casa’s community organizing and child advocacy work serve as a powerful foundation for its comprehensive social service delivery system. Programs promote family wellbeing, healthy child development, educational achievement, employment opportunities, homeownership, financial self-sufficiency, energy conservation, and neighborhood renewal.

 Newark YMCA Zumba instructor, Evelyn Vargas, kicked off the entertainment with an interactive Zumba activity. Plena Dulce followed with their traditional Bomba y Plena music. Massive Reggae Band performed a series of Bob Marley & Jimmy Cliff hits, followed by the colorful Peruvian dancers and an Andean band. A children’s dance contest and dance performances by local dance troupe Dynamic Dynasty engaged the crowd, along with a line dance by La Casa staff. Afrocuba Band performed classic Salsa music, and Yahaya Kamate Drummers closed the event.

For the first time, the festival hosted a farmer’s market with participation from the Greater Newark Conservancy, Jersey Buzz, Nourishing Newark, and Vacchiano Farm. Guests enjoyed healthy food cooking demonstrations samplings of couscous and whole wheat pasta salads by Nelson Mejia Head Chef of La Casa’s La Olla Kitchen, and chicken sliders and gelato smoothies by Brittany Timberlake of Four Corners Catering. For more information about La Casa de Don Pedro, visit www.lacasanwk.org.


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