‘The community loves culture’: 25th Annual Amigos International Festival Latino

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - A local festival invited people from different backgrounds to experience new cultures over the weekend.

The Amigos International Festival Latino has been running for decades. The event on Saturday in Ogden Park brought hundreds of people.

The organizer of the event, Lucy Vasquez, wanted to create an event that brings together different Latin cultures. She says she never expected it to last this long, and her new mission is to expand the festival beyond just Latin countries.

“The community loves culture. The community loves the differences, and I think this festival is the best to enjoy,” said Vasquez.

Attendees and vendors say the Latin community is very welcoming to people of different races and considers everyone as family.

“Great people from different cultures here. Some people didn’t even speak Spanish or even English. was just nice to have that connection with them, regardless,” said Daniel Peña.

Peña runs a booth that showcases his Dominican heritage. He is from Boston, Massachusetts. He says that although major cities see diversity on a regular basis, upcoming cities in the South are being introduced to more ethnicities and cultures.

The event had live dance performances, dance lessons, music, different cuisines, and carnival games for children.

The event will continue on Sunday from noon until 6 p.m. at Ogden Park.