GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Friday marked the 42nd annual Hispanic festival in Grand Rapids.
“We have never been before, but our family is here visiting, and we figured this would be nice to come see,” said Walter Jordan, as he stood in line to grab a taco.
Jordan is one of 2,000 people expected to attend the three-day festival at Calder Plaza.
“It’s not just Mexican, it’s Dominican, Puerto Rican, everybody. I think it’s a beautiful thing because variety is the spice of life,” said Lisa Puente, who attended the festival.
This year’s festival was a bit more somber than previous years because it followed ICE raids across the country and a mass shooting in El Paso Texas, where the Latinx community was targeted.
“I think it’s a really sensitive time for what’s going on in our country,” Puente said.
While the festival normally focuses on having pride in your heritage, Friday organizers made sure to take a moment to honor people killed in recent tragedies across the nation.
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