Despite the rainy weather, the First Annual Hispanic/Latino Heritage Celebration drew a crowd of almost 100 people to the Vail-Leavitt Music Hall Friday evening.
Local families enjoyed a night filled with fun from start to finish at a celebration that started at 5 p.m. and ended at 11 p.m.
The evening kicked off with water tattoos and gifts for the children, followed by a screening of the movie, “The Book of Life.” A PG-rated, animated movie about a Mexican young man who embarks on a fantastical quest in the afterlife, where he faces his greatest fears and follows his heart. Children visibly enjoyed the movie, laughing and cheering.
An intermission followed, where attendees enjoyed a mix of Central American foods, including “tacos dorados” (a chicken-filled, deep-fried rolled-up tortilla) and “pupusas” (cheese-and-bean-filled savory pancakes.)
Balloon animals were distributed courtesy of Riverhead resident and children entertainer, Paul Dlug. Dlug also performed magic tricks for the audience between sets.
Around 8:30 p.m. the Vail-Leavitt second floor transformed into a multicultural stage.
Chilean performer, drummer and visual artist Carolina Fuentes and her father, who is also a musician, electrified the audience with the world-wide debut of three new songs she wrote. She sang, danced and played the drums at the same time.
The dance troupe from Greenport, “Rabin Ajau,” danced two songs about folk stories from Guatemala.
The dance was followed by Peruvian flutist Walter Purizaca who played an Andean pan flute called a “zampoña.”
Poet Julie Sheehan recited an original poem in Spanish that talked about xenophobia.
There was also a raffle for a prize of a $100 gift card.
The evening ended with salsa music courtesy of Jaime Ruiz and his dancers. Ruiz invited the audience on stage for salsa lessons after performing two professional cuban salsa sets.
“We are very happy to see the community come out and enjoy the multicultural evening,” Vail-Leavitt board member Angela De Vito said. “We hope the Latino community will begin to see us a cultural center for themselves and encourage us to do more.”
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