Fiesta has been the premier Latino cultural celebration in Indiana since 1980. It celebrates, educates and shares the Latino culture through art, music, dance, food and cultural activities. This year’s event, themed “Where the Americas Come Together,” will be held Sept. 15, noon to midnight at the American Legion Mall downtown. Admission is free.

The traditional sounds of mariachi, flamenco, tango and orchestra groups will fill two stages, one at the end of American Legion Plaza and the other on North Street. Some of the performers at this year’s festival include Mariachi Sol Jalisciense, Ballet de Hidalgo, IntoSalsa, Mantra, Mariachi and Charro, Ipanema, Orquesta Iluziones and many more. The Food Plaza will feature an unprecedented amount of Latin American food booths as well as more traditional festival offerings. Along the sides of the American Legion Mall, there will be a variety of vendors, corporate information and community service booths, plus cultural booths featuring a variety of Latin American arts, crafts and games.

The event is attended by approximately 35,000 people, and Irish Fest will also be taking place downtown (at Military Park, see the Music section), so come early and stay late. For more on Fiesta, see the special pullout section in this issue.