Fiesta Hispana is celebrating its 31st year in Kansas City and continues to grow at a rate organizers are quite proud of.
"We expect about twenty thousand to twenty five thousand for the three nights,” said David Tinoco.
Tinoco is one of the organizers who also runs Greater Kansas City, the event’s main sponsor. He said the festival started as a small gathering off Southwest Boulevard roughly 35 years ago as a way to raise awareness about the local Hispanic community and their influence on American culture.
"The United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce started in Kansas City,” said Tinoco.
According to the last U.S. census in 2010, the Hispanic community made up nearly 30 percent of Kansas City, Kansas and 10 percent of Kansas City, Missouri. Add the more than 10 percent Hispanic population in Olathe and it’s easy to see the culture is a large part of Kansas City’s heritage.
Tinoco said the community support has played a pivotal role in supporting the Hispanic community for generations
"It's diverse. The opportunity. Ya know and the acceptance,” he said. "You have organizations like Guadalupe Center, El Centro, to name a few."
Fiesta Hispana runs through Sunday, September 18 at Barney Allis Plaza in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. The event is free, however some money raised from the festival will go towards scholarships for local college students.
"It's like any American dream. The opportunity is there. You have to go for it,” said Tinoco.
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Josh Helmuth can be reached at josh.helmuth@kshb.com
