SHS students celebrate hispanic culture

These students visited “La Fiesta” in downtown Indianapolis.

Photo contributed by Anna Powell

These students visited “La Fiesta” in downtown Indianapolis.

Olivia Brite, Juan Cerda-Duran and Hanna Veen, Spanish 4 students

On Sept.16, 2017, Indianapolis held its annual “Fiesta.”  Fiesta is a celebration of Latino culture and National Hispanic Heritage Month in Indiana. Since 1980, Fiesta has been held the third Saturday of September at the American Legion Mall in downtown Indianapolis. Over 15,000 people from all over the state of Indiana come to attend this memorable festival.

SHS ’s International Club, led by spanish teachers Conner McNeely and Anna Powell, honors the diverse cultures represented in our school. During Fiesta, many students joined the celebration in order to experience the Latino culture firsthand. Students in the club feel that it is important to celebrate the other cultures in order to understand each other better.  

“Just like we have Chin National Day, where people from other cultures come to celebrate ours, it’s important for others to go celebrate their culture as well,” sophomore Pa Landy Na said.

This year there was plenty of entertainment, food, information booths, a health and wellness fair, as well as activities for all ages. Upon entering, vivid sights of faces stuffed with  food and people dancing to music clouded the eyes of every attendee. The Main Stage hosted a variety of performances that showcased different kinds of music including mariachi, flamenco, tango and salsa. In turn, the bands performing made people dance in the street.  

Along the sides of the mall were booths and tents lined up with a variety of information, food, and activities. Children who attended could participate in a “Passport to the Americas,” which was a series of six tents representing Latin American and Iberian countries. At each station, they learned about different countries, made crafts, and sampled foods. They could also visit tents occupied by Radio Disney, Colts Play 60, Indy Eleven, McDonalds as well as others companies to find out more about their companies and enter raffles for prizes.  

Such a big event requires a lot of planning, sponsors, volunteers, and local businesses. In an effort to share their culture, representatives from many Spanish-speaking countries participated.Fiesta brings different cultures together in an annual celebration. For people in search of a cultural event during the month of September, Fiesta is an option to experience the culture of the Spanish-speaking world.

According to sophomore Madeline Holloway, the festival provided a time to hang out with friends while still using her Spanish.

“Fiesta was fun, and I enjoyed hanging out with my friends,” Holloway said, “I was able to talk to native speakers, although it was difficult because of the fast pace and their different accents.”

The International Club is open to all students and will be celebrating many more cultural events throughout the school year. Anyone interested in joining may contact McNeely or Powell.