INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — The Sebastian Charter Junior High Latin Festival on April 10 promises to be an exciting first of its kind event. The event location has changed – it will be held at Indian River County Fair Grounds. An exciting line-up of the best in Latin Film, Food, Music and Dance is headlined by the renown stellar, Tito Rodriguez Orchestra with Tito Rodriguez Jr. featuring the finest musicians of Puerto Rico. The day kicks off at 11 am with a screening of the documentary film, La Epoca: The Palladium days. Free Latin dance lessons will follow at the festival grounds on the 50 by 50 foot outdoor dance floor, specially designed for the days many dance performances.
At 1 pm, Peru’s folkloric sights and sounds with Ritmos Peru and Incas Wasi will delightfully engage you. Then, the Charter High School Mambo Dance team takes to the floor choreographed in the legendary Cuban Pete method by legendary Mambo dancer Barbara Craddock. Enjoy the smooth music of the South Wind Jazz Ensemble followed by another dance performance by local dance instructor, Joe Tessier of the 14th avenue dance studio.
After Joe, Adlan Cruz, a world-class concert pianist from Puerto Rico will perform in the center of the dance floor. Then, Iba A Se featuring Danny Rivera Jr. will perform on the main stage. After that, enjoy the dance exhibition of the electric couple, Stacey & Lucy Lopez. And last but certainly not least, the Tito Rodriguez Orchestra led by Tito Rodriguez Jr. will perform under the stars as the dance floor opens to the audience for two hours.
A full array of cuisine and culture will be available along the festival’s vendor row with boutiques and kiosks offering food and merchandise for the crowd, all together, a magical event.
The SCJH Latin Festival is a charity event benefiting several local charities including the Sebastian Charter Junior High School, Pelican Island Audubon Society, Boys & Girls Club of Indian River County, the Sheriffs Youth Ranch, the Gifford Youth Activity Center, and the Substance Awareness Council of I.R.C.
The Sebastian Charter Junior High School is an “A” ranked school; however, SCJH is currently housed in ten-year-old portable units. The school structure currently has a life expectancy of less than 5 years. The President & Chairman of the Board of SCJH, John Rivera, produced and developed this Latin Festival to aid in raising funds for the construction of a permanent schoolhouse. To purchase tickets now or find out more information, visit www.scjhlatinfestival.org.
