Elkhart holds 3rd annual Hispanic Heritage Festival

ELKHART, Ind. -- The Sister Cities Association hosted their 3rd Annual Hispanic Heritage Festival on Saturday in Elkhart. Despite a brief downpour, the event was a success, featuring live music, dance, food trucks, and various vendors selling goods from jewelry to toys.

One of the highlights of the festival was the opportunity to interact with exotic animals brought by a local vendor. Attendees were able to pet an armadillo and observe a parrot.

Patty Gorostieeta, a board member of the Sister Cities Association, emphasized the importance of the festival in promoting cultural diversity and understanding within the community.

"This is something that we every year, we try to communicate more, like at the diversity they send Elkhart, the different cultures that we have here, and even like for the fireworks tonight, the light, the different colors that are going to be there is representing the different cultures and flags from the diversity that we have in here in the city," stated Gorostieeta.

Gorostieeta also explained the significance of celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month, and how it encompasses a variety of cultures and traditions from across Latin America.

"Some cultures in Central America, Mexico, they celebrate their independent days, like September 15. September 16. The difference that we are is that like we celebrate the Hispanic Heritage Month, that that means representing all the cultures, all the flag and the beautiful, like flavor of the Latino community that bring to like this country that is so diverse and full of things they make, I think that gives us spiciness when we have all these different cultures getting together." said Gorostieeta.