Festival Latino Returns to Downtown's Genoa Park

The largest Latin event in Ohio and marking its 26th year in 2023—is a two-day, free, family-friendly event celebrating family and community. Produced by CAPA, Festival Latino 2023 will be held at Genoa Park on Saturday and Sunday, August 12 and 13, from 11 am to 8 pm daily. Festivalgoers can enjoy an entertainment lineup that includes national headliners and local artists, food, children’s activities, art, and dance from the heart of Latin America.

Festival Latino is presented by Honda and sponsored by Nationwide, American Electric Power, Bath and Body Works Foundation, KEMBA Financial Credit Union, Pepsi/Starry, the City of Columbus, and the Columbus Crew. Additional support for Festival Latino is provided by: Abbott, ADAMH, Quantum Health, and Nationwide Children’s Hospital, and more.

For 2023, Festival Latino continues its relationship with Jeremy Rosario Maldonado, a Columbus-based creative director, fine artist, and visual communicator, who created the Festival Latino branding. The native of Puerto Rico created an original piece of art for the festival that will be available to visitors as a free digital download. Jeremy said the piece is in the spirit of the afiche, a poster or artwork from an event that is traditional across many Latino cultures.

A kickoff dance party will be held on the Community Plaza at Lower.com Field, the home of the Columbus Crew, on Friday, August 11 from 5 to 8 pm. Food trucks will be on site and Columbus-based artists—Ale Almanza and Zancudo, as well as DJ Cale—will get the crowd dancing in this festive celebration to open the 26th annual festival. Entry is free but limited to the first 1,500 attendees. Lower.com Field security and entry policies will be enforced, including the restriction on bag size. No bags are permitted into Lower.com Field with the exception of diaper bags, medical bags, and bags smaller than 5″x8″x1″. Visit www.columbuscrew.com/matchday/az-guide for more information.

FIESTA STAGE, SPONSORED BY NATIONWIDE

Saturday, August 12

11 am—DJ Cale

DJ Cale caters to Caribbean and Latin American tastes, spinning salsa, merengue, bachata, reggaeton, Latin pop, Latin dance, house, and a touch of American Top 40 music.

1:15 pm—Ale Almanza

Hailing from a small town in Colombia, Almanza now makes her home in Columbus. Imbued with the traditional music of her homeland, Almanza puts a contemporary, personal stamp on Latin music.

2:45 pm—Zancudo

Led by singer/songwriter Víctor Zancudo, this band’s unique take on Latin Pop captivates all audiences.

4:15 pm—Alex Matos

Dominican Republic - Salsa

One of the best in a generation of salsa artists to come from the Dominican Republic, Matos started performing publicly at the age of 5 and made his first TV appearance at 12. His breakthrough was in 2011 with the song “Si Entendieras,” and Matos has since performed throughout Latin American, the United States and around the world. He has over 50 million views on YouTube and has won recognition, including Salsa Artist of the Year in 2012 and 2013 at the Cassandra Awards (formerly Soberano Awards).

6:30 pm—Los Yaguaru

Mexico - Cumbia

Veteran performers Los Yaguaru, led by director and founder Ángel Venegas, are among the foremost practitioners of cumbia, a tropical music genre popular throughout Latin America. Thanks to their innovative style, such as orchestral cumbia with trumpets, clarinets, trombones, and drums, they give it a very special touch. 

Sunday, August 13

11 am—DJ Cale

DJ Cale caters to Caribbean and Latin American tastes, spinning salsa, merengue, bachata, reggaeton, Latin pop, Latin dance, house, and a touch of American Top 40 music.

1:15 pm— Los Borirengues del Swing

Los Borirengues del Swing is a group formed by three Puerto Rican musicians who have a passion for music and for making their audiences want to join them to dance and sing together. Throughout their career, they have shared the stage with Maelo Ruiz, Zacarias Ferreira, and Luis Vargas, among others.

2:45 pm—Latin Fever All Stars

Latin Fever All Stars is an international group of local talent coming from the Caribbean and different countries in Latin America. This is a combination of well-known and rising artists, musicians, singers, and performers that will bring a mix of styles and genres to its live performances.

4:15 pm—Adolescentes Orquesta

Venezuela – Salsa

This Venezuelan “romántica” salsa band has entertained audiences worldwide both live and on record since its founding in the mid-1990s. Known for its lively rhythms, catchy melodies and heartfelt lyrics that touch on themes like love, heartbreak, and growing up, Adolescentes Orquesta has won several awards, including a 2005 Latin Grammy for its album, Respiro.

6:30 pm—Eddy Herrera

Dominican Republic - Merengue

Seven-time Cassandra Award-winning vocalist Eddy Herrera got his start with influential bandleader Wilfrido Vargas while he was still in college. His successful solo career includes numerous international honors, including several Latin Grammy Award nominations, festival performances and hit songs, including “Para Toda La Vida.” In 2022, he served as one of the coaches in the second season of “The Voice Dominicana.”

DANCE PLAZA, SPONSORED BY PEPSI/STARRY

Saturday, August 12

2 pm—Salsa Lessons with Carlos Rubio

Take a salsa dance lesson from “The Salsa King of Ohio.” Carlos Rubio is an instructor at the Salsamante Dance Academy and Ohio’s all-time winning-est salsa dancer.

3 pm—Salsamante Dance Academy

Enjoy salsa performances from instructors and students of Columbus’ first and only salsa dance studio.

5 pm—El Corazon de Mexico Ballet Folklorico

Toledo-based dance company El Corazon de Mexico Ballet Folklorico (The Heart of Mexico) will demonstrate the beauty and charm of traditional Mexican dances.