In the Columbia metro area, 4% of residents identify as Hispanic or Latino, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. This Saturday, residents will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in Hispanic culture at Columbia’s first Hispanic Heritage Festival, organized by Como Comunidad, a local nonprofit focused on Hispanic and immigrant families.
The event will run from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Open Door Church, located at 4838 Meadow Lark Lane. Jaymes Schrock, founder and president of Como Comunidad, emphasized the festival’s goal of fostering cultural connections: “A bridge that you build is always two ways … a bridge benefits both sides of the river.”
Festival highlights will include an indoor mercado featuring clothing vendors, local service organizations, and demonstrations for making fresh tortillas and salsa. Outdoor food offerings will include tacos, elotes, Central American snacks, and aguas frescas. Most vendors will be from mid-Missouri, with some traveling from elsewhere in the state.
Entertainment will feature a Panamanian folkloric dance team and a full mariachi ensemble. The festival aims to create a welcoming environment for both Hispanic culture and the wider community, with more than 500 people indicating interest on social media and organizers hoping for over 300 attendees.
Schrock noted that past efforts in Columbia have aimed at connecting and celebrating Hispanic families, and the positive community response augurs well for making the festival an annual event. Looking forward, he envisions expanding the festival with more vendors and performers while weaving in diverse representations of Hispanic and Latino cultures.
Ultimately, Schrock hopes attendees will feel celebrated and gain insight into different traditions, encouraging everyone to “come ready to celebrate, come curious to learn about a culture, and then come ready to be a part.”
