Wells Fargo Center for the Arts Kicks Off 4th Annual FIESTA DE INDEPENDENCIA Today

Enjoy the tastes, sounds and sights of Mexico without leaving the North Bay. Wells Fargo Center for the Arts announces the return of Fiesta de Independencia, commemorating Mexican Independence Day and celebrating the diverse cultures that are a part of the community, today, September 14 at 1 p.m.

Now in its fourth year, Sonoma County residents and visitors will experience Mexico and celebrate Latino heritage at the free festival at the Center (50 Mark West Springs Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95403). Presented by the Center's Latino Advisory Council, the family-friendly, campus-wide festival is an opportunity for guests to experience a traditional fiesta, as they will enjoy authentic food, music, games and activities, including a car show and salsa competition.

Since 2010, Fiesta de Independencia has commemorated Mexican Independence Day (September 16) to celebrate the rich history of the Latino culture and people, who are an integral part of the North Bay community. Drawing more than 3,000 community members each year, the festival has become a Sonoma County tradition and continues the custom of a community-wide celebration of cultures, people and traditions, while educating the community about Mexican history and Latino businesses in Santa Rosa.

A distinctive honor for this year's Fiesta event, Wells Fargo Center for the Arts will receive a special acknowledgement from Santa Rosa Mayor Scott Bartley, with a Proclamation to be presented at the September 10 City Council meeting, declaring today, September 14, 2013 as "Fiesta de Independencia - A Community Celebration." The Center's Executive Director, Rick Nowlin and members of the Latino Advisory Council will be at the City Council meeting to receive the Proclamation from the Mayor. A copy of the complete Proclamation is included below.

In acknowledging the importance of Fiesta de Independencia to the community Mayor Bartley says of the event at Wells Fargo Center: "Santa Rosa is an ethnically diverse community that is strengthened by the contributions of various cultures. I invite the Santa Rosa community to join in celebrating the richness of our community in this fun, family-friendly event."

The creation of this event would not be possible without the help of the Latino Advisory Council (LAC) as well as the Fiesta's sponsors, which include Wells Fargo Bank, Sutter Medical Center of Santa Rosa, Xfinity, California Human Development, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Sonoma County, the City of Santa Rosa, Radio Lazer/La Mejor, CAP Sonoma, El Patron, Excitos, TV Azteca, El Consulado General de México en San Francisco and of course all the community advocates.

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