The ever-popular Fiesta celebrates 20 years in Birmingham on September 24th, and Mobile Latin Fest returns for its second year on October 14th. Both events honor Hispanic Heritage Month, which began on September 15th and runs through October 15th. 
Alabama’s largest celebration of Hispanic heritage and culture, this year’s Fiesta celebrates ¡Somos Familia!, which means “We Are Family.” The event offers an abundance of food, culture and music from 20 Latin American countries. Sponsored by the Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama (¡HICA!), Fiesta is a longtime fan favorite, offering musical entertainment, performing and visual arts, cultural education, food trucks with authentic Hispanic dishes, community engagement, activities children and the famous “Lucha libre” professional wrestling acts.
For several years, Alabama Power and volunteers from the company’s service arm, Alabama Power Service Organization (APSO), have partnered with ¡HICA!, as well as supporting many initiatives and events for the Hispanic community in the state.
Bringing a taste of ‘home’
For Bolivian-born Debbie Bond, who is helping to rally Alabama Power employee volunteers for the Fiesta, the event feels like “home.”
Bond’s Bolivian mother married into an American military family that lived all over the world. The Bonds moved to Huntsville, Alabama, when Debbie was 12 years old. An American citizen, Bond still enjoys the Latin culture—the sights, tastes, and sounds—he left behind.
“I grew up in South America,” Bond said. “I spoke mostly Spanish, but I understood English quite well. I have been speaking English for 30 years now.”
Fiesta is fun for the whole family. (Denise Koch/Fiesta)
Fiesta is fun for the whole family. (Denise Koch/Fiesta)
Enjoy authentic Latin foods. (Party)
Latin music on two stages draws the crowd. (Denise Koch/Fiesta)
Bond and three other APSO Magic City Chapter members – Art Otero, Myrna Merced Serrano and Belinda Recio – all native Spanish speakers, will welcome guests to the Alabama Power booth and event tents. Aiming to help with community resources, Magic City APSO’s team of 20 volunteers will hand out informational pamphlets and answer questions about the company. APSO member Brittany Faush is coordinating the team in setting up areas for games, gifts, crafts and other activities.
Bond, who volunteered at Fiesta 2019, is excited to help. She said Fiesta lets Latinos know they are not alone and that others have similar stories and backgrounds. For Bond, Fiesta offers some of the culture Hispanics miss from home, like the Latin music she loved growing up but couldn’t find as a Huntsville teenager.
“It’s fun to be able to go to a place where you have foods that you’re familiar with from your youth or your background,” Bond said. “But also for people from Alabama or the US or any other country, it’s amazing to see what a different culture is like. Everyone is having fun and being together. There is friendship, friendship – there is this joy. It doesn’t really matter what your background is, you’re all enjoying a little Hispanic culture together.”
She believes that it is good to share one’s culture with others, to allow them to consider another point of view.
“I think that’s amazing,” Bond said. “I like it.”
Partygoers can enjoy the event on Saturday from noon to 8pm at Linn Park in downtown Birmingham. Buy advance tickets for $12 or pay $15 at the gate. Children under 12 enter for free.
Fun at the Mobile Latin Fest
Mobile Latin Fest returns on Friday, October 14th from 5 to 9:00 pm at Cathedral Square in downtown Mobile. 
The goal of Mobile Latin Fest is to bring together many traditions, dances, foods and cultures, demonstrating the diversity of Latin countries. Presented by the Hispanic American Business Association of the Gulf Coast, this year’s focus is on fun and family, said Sylvia Skultety, HABAGC director of activities. Supported by Mobile Parks and Recreation, the free festival will be held in conjunction with the city’s October Art Walk. The entertainment is free and food vendors will offer authentic Latin specialty foods.
“The idea is to integrate Latino culture, awareness and contributions into our community,” said Skultety, owner of Mobile Bay Real Estate LLC.
With a large crowd expected to attend the Art Walk, Skultety said it’s a great opportunity to expose people to the traditions and customs that are celebrated during Hispanic Heritage Month.
“We want to do something to support our community and bring awareness to our culture and, at the same time, learn a little bit about what we have from the different cultures, different foods and different tastes of so many countries that have different dances, food,” she said. “It’s to give more inclusion to our community.”
See, taste and hear the culture at Latin Fest. (Silvia Skulety / HABAGC)
See, taste and hear the culture at Latin Fest. (Silvia Skulety / HABAGC)
See, taste and hear the culture at Latin Fest. (Silvia Skulety / HABAGC)
Dance to Latin music. (Silvia Skulety / HABAGC)
“When we talk about Hispanic, here, we think like Mexican,” noted Skultety, who is fluent in English, Portuguese and Spanish. “But we have Argentina, Venezuela, Bolivia, Central America, Honduras. … I am from Brazil. There are so many cultures, languages and accents, food styles, traditions, types of dance – there are so many diversifications of any single country. That’s why we want to raise awareness.
“Mobile Fest is a way to educate and integrate a community to be a part of,” added Skultety, who came to the US to study at the University of South Alabama, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in business and international marketing.
“This is where I met my girlfriend,” she said, “and this has been home to me since 1984. My husband is from Bolivia, but my children are American. So, you see, right there, we have that melting pot of different cultures and things that we have to adapt to.
“We’re expecting a big crowd and will have more food vendors this year, along with music and entertainment,” said Skultety, who is working with the city of Mobile to help secure more parking for Latin Fest.
“It’s going to be fun.”
