Courtesy of the Greater St. Louis Hispanic Festival
“So diversified—that’s what I like [about St. Louis],” says Haniny Hillberg, a native of La Paz, Bolivia who has made this city her home. And part of the diversity that Hillberg enjoys so much is the Greater St. Louis Hispanic Festival at Soldiers Memorial Park, which is happening this weekend.
The festival began because of an invitation from Faust Park to showcase Hispanic culture, and Hillberg and several of her friends thought it was a good idea—though at the time, “We didn’t realize how much work was involved.” The annual festival is a chance to share Hispanic culture with the St. Louis area as well as to unite the whole Hispanic community, which makes up 2 to 3 percent of the area’s population and is largely dispersed throughout St. Louis, with larger pockets living in St. Ann and South City.
Now in its 17th year, the festival will sell arts and crafts and offer food from nearly every Hispanic country including Mexico, Peru, Bolivia, Cuba, Colombia and Argentina. Spice-wary palates need not worry: both spicy and non-spicy food will be served and festivalgoers can always get the hot sauce on the side. But it wouldn’t be a true festival without music and dancing. Both traditional and contemporary music will be playing all weekend, and Javier Mendoza (who has made St. Louis his home) also will perform.
Good food and music have always been present at the festival, but organizers this year wanted to add a little more spice to the mix. New this year will be the low-rider car cruise, which will feature 30 cars, and the Miss Hispanic Festival contest. “We receive a lot of calls to send someone [in the community] to represent the festival,” Hillberg says. Instead of being judged on beauty—“They’re all beautiful”—the contestants will be rated on intelligence, charisma and conversation. “We want someone who can really speak to the public,” she says. The women will wear native costumes for part of the contest, and Mexico, Venezuela and Colombia will be among those represented. The winner will receive $500, as a well as a sash and crown.
St. Louis has made its mark on Hillberg, who spent the past eight months in Bolivia and found herself missing the comforts of her Midwest home. But if you want an inexpensive way to experience her native culture without paying for airline tickets, head to the Greater St. Louis Hispanic Festival where you can add a little more sizzle to your weekend.
The Greater St. Louis Hispanic Festival can be found between 14th and Market downtown. Admission is free and food prices range from $2 to $5; hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fri and Sat; 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sun. For more information, go to hispanicfestivalstl.com, visit the festival's Facebook page, or call 314-837-6100.
