It was a time of celebration, with buoyant music and culture during the inaugural Colombian Latin Festival on Saturday, with Colombian singers Tito Murillo and Serrano “El Duro” priming the crowds with the sounds of home. Organizers say they hope the event – which recognized Colombian Independence Day – will become an annual gathering in Vero Beach over the next few years.
“This was needed in Vero Beach. We have a large Latin community in Vero,” said co-organizer Maritza Paulino, whose face was lit with joy as she soaked in the positive energy emanating from the attendees dancing around her. “We wanted to do it the right way.”
Paulino, 55, her sister Gloria Lopez, 47, and brother Adolfo Lopez, 50, all of Vero Beach, united to organize the event. More than 1,000 people flocked to the Latin Melting Pot restaurant parking lot – which was blocked off for the festival – from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday to join in on the fun.
Paulino is the owner of Latin Melting Pot located off 21st Street near Indian River Boulevard.
The gathering brought in celebrants from the Treasure and Space coasts, along with 23 vendors from Peru, Mexico, Argentina, Venezuela and Colombia, Paulino said. Latin tunes blared as attendees did traditional dances and enjoyed empanadas, tacos, cholados and fruit salads.
The Latin Melting Pot, which opened a year and a half ago, was closed during the festival. The eatery serves a variety of dishes with origins tracing back to Colombia, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina and other countries. Saturday’s festivity was a refresher to celebrate culture and tradition, organizers say.
Some celebrants wore signature yellow jerseys representing the Colombia soccer team that recently competed in the Copa América soccer competition – a tournament amongst national teams from South America. The Colombia team dominated the field, but fell to the Argentina soccer team in the final match held on July 14 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.
Mateo Berrio said he felt excited to see so many people from Colombia at the festival. Colombia gained its independence from Spain by 1819, and was recognized by the U.S. in 1822, according to the U.S. Department of State Office of the Historian.
Berrio, 28, of Melbourne, said he is originally from Manizales, located in the coffee-growing region of western Colombia.
Berrio stood next to a red and black 1954 Jeep imported from Colombia. Bags of “Go Coffee” were placed in front of the Jeep.
The coffee, from Finca La Martina farm in Colombia, was the first product in Colombia to be exported to other countries, Berrio said.
“Colombia sells the best coffee in the world,” Berrio said. “It’s the most important product in Colombia.”
More information on the Latin Melting Pot can be found on its Facebook page “Latin Melting Pot” and Instagram handle “latin.melting.pot.”
Photos by Nick Samuel
