Fiesta at Guild Hall Embraces Latino Culture in East Hampton

, the annual event designed to welcome the Latino community to on Sunday, presented Latino culture in music, dance, film, and children's crafts. Traditional costumes, bright flags, animation, and rock music moved beyond entertainment. All presenters had ties to the local community.

"Building bridges—that's the goal," said Jennifer Cohen, general manager of the John Drew Theater and associate for theater education.  "We want to make Guild Hall more than the building you drive by that's by the pond."

Taken together, Fiesta honors Latino heritage. It gives community members the chance to remember the country they left behind or to learn traditions different from their own.  

"Families can be a mixed culture. Kids from non-Latin families get to come here and to learn and that's very important," said Diana Vargas, artistic director of the , which played at Guild Hall at the same time. "Latino culture is a mix. It comes from many countries not just one." 

Fiesta presented traditions from Brazil, Mexico, Peru and a South American fusion. Escola De Samba Boom is a Brazilian samba percussion ensemble. Tenochtitlan Ballet Folklorico Dance Group presents traditional dances from Mexico in lavish costumes.  

Nearly all the entertainment was delivered in Spanish. A translator was on hand to present the musuem's art exhibition in Spanish and English. The Havana Film Festival New York was timed to overlap with Fiesta. Fiesta concluded with an animated children's film from Peru.

Besides performances, kids could make paper "Fiesta Friends." teachers Alexandra McCourt and Mike Kelly helped with Codices, a book with folded pages, and Picado Flags, a traditional paper cutting folk art from Mexico. 

Holding a day focusing on Latino culture acknowledged that East Hampton is ethnically diverse. "Look at the composition of the community—48% of the children are from Latino culture," said McCourt, an ESL teacher. "This is the community that's here . . . We're all here. Fiesta helps celebrate our diversity."

Chris Garcia and Marbel Padilla sang Mariachi in the lobby wearing traditional Mexican garb. Padilla performed with Tenochtitlan and Garcia. He's from Ecuador and volunteered to sing to help his friends, he said through a translator.

"I love to sing," Mr. Padilla said. "I came to help out and to show what they can do."  

Other performers included Mr. No-Shame, an all-Latin rock group, with musicians from Venezuela, Chile, Brazil, Columbia and Ecuador. Their high energy rock music combines alternative, jazz, junk and Latin rhythms. The lyrics (sung in Spanish) portray the challenges of immigrating to a new country.

Fiesta drew Latinos and non-Latinos. "In festivals like this in New York, they usually draw Latinos only," remarked Vargas. "Here, there were non-Spanish speaking and Spanish speaking. It says something about the community that's here."