Sioux Falls celebrates Cinco de Mayo by bringing multiple cultures together to celebrate Latino history.
The Cinco de Mayo fiesta at Falls Park is an annual tradition that has grown with an influx of Latino families moving to the area.
Festival organizers said the goal of this weekend's event was to bring awareness to, and develop pride in, the diverse Latino cultures in our community.
Events include Latino food, dance, art, music, and children’s activities. The event that drew the largest crowd, however, was the chihuahua fashion show.
Matthew Tschetter is the executive director of Caminando Juntos. He said the festival is the main fundraiser for his organization.
“We also have non-food vendor tents here, so not only supporting businesses like Avera, and Wells Fargo is our presenting sponsor, and Avera is our entertainment sponsor. But other folks like Journey Group and others that are here, to just be present. We have anywhere from 30 sponsors for this event and over 300 volunteers that help make this possible,” said Tschetter.
Journey Group representatives said the company' support stems from its employee base now being two-thirds Latino.
Tschetter said the festival has grown through the increase in Latino communities represented in the city.
“When this event started about 15 years ago, the majority of the Latino migrants here in Sioux Falls would’ve been Mexican folks. Through the years, its just become a broader representation. So that’s why we want to celebrate today, the Latino cultures, plural, cultures, because there are so many represented from even as far as Chile. Various countries in South America and Central America and the Caribbean, as well as Mexico," said Tschetter.
Tschetter’s organization was developed in 2002 by the Presentation Sisters living in South Dakota. Their goal is to help newer Latino immigrants integrate into a new culture and make a home in our area. Since its inception, Caminando Juntos has served thousands of Latinos and their families.
