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Local Group Holds Its First Akron Latin American Festival

Latin American Festival flyer, Popup restaurant at No-Hi Kitchen Friday October 15 and Saturday October 16 from 12 pm to 8 pm, and Latin American party with live music, children's activities, and crafts Saturday October 16th from 12-4pm behind Exchange House in Akron.
Mi Proyecto Raices CLA / Facebook

A local group in Akron will be holding the city’s first annual Latin American Festival this weekend.

Rita Aggerwal, a co-director of Proyecto RAICES, says her group was inspired by similar festivals in Cleveland and Pittsburgh.

Aggerwal says the festival will serve as a way to get people interested in Latin American culture in Akron.

Rita Aggerwal

“People know that it’s an area with a lot of diversity and full of different culture," Aggerwal said "So we feel we fit in well.”

Co-director Nancy Auquilla says the festival will also be a fundraiser to help kids in Summit County preserve and celebrate their cultural roots.

Nancy Auquilla

“We don’t want them to lose our culture, especially the language, and the traditions, you know, our dishes," Auquilla said.

Festivities are planned for today and tomorrow in Akron. The festival is open to the general public.

Rachel Gross is a senior journalism major in the Kent State School of Media and Journalism and will be graduating Fall 2021. She is the current general manager of the student-run TV station on Kent State’s campus, TV2, and has covered major political events for the station such as the Presidential Debate in Cleveland. With her minor being in political science, she hopes to work in the political news field after graduation.