The 17th annual Latin Music Festival is an all-day celebration of Acadiana's Latin community. The festival will feature music, cuisine, folkloric art and more.
The fun begins Saturday, October 5 at Parc International.
Abby Breidenbach was LIVE on Thursday morning with more on the Latin Festival.
Of course, Acadiana is known for its French heritage but it also has Spanish roots.
The festival's founders wanted to highlight those Spanish ties which led them to create the event.
55 years ago Luis Mora moved to the states, excited to be integrated in American society.
"I reached the American dream but i don't want to lose my roots because I'm proud of them," says Mora, who is a founding member of the Latin Festival in Lafayette and a member of the Asociación Cultural Latino-Acadiana.
Quickly after moving, Mora learned that he shared his Latin culture with many Louisianians whose families settled long ago in spots like New Iberia.
"We're some of the first inhabitants of Louisiana," says Mora.
In effort to celebrate their history, Mora and a group of Latin American Acadiana dwellers came up with a festival to share who and where they came from, in the place they now call home.
"The Latin Music Festival became an idea of what the Latin community can offer the community of Acadiana to create a better understanding of the people to get to know us better like we have known the French," says Mora.