Hundreds and perhaps as many as 1,000 people showed up Sunday afternoon at Skaha Lake Park for what might just be the sleeper hit of the Penticton summer.
It was called the Penticton Latin Rhythm Fest and as the name suggests, it was a straight-up Latin American celebration. It was music, it was dance, it was food and it was culture – all wrapped up in a big, colourful Latin-flavoured bow.
And when all those locals and tourists headed home after it ended, they likely knew they'd been at a pretty good party. So good in fact that at least two food vendors sold right out just a couple hours in.
The event was the brainchild of Mexican transplant and Penticton resident Bruno Munoz.
Munoz, now 31, moved to Canada in 2009 and to the Okanagan 12 years later. And he got to work within weeks of his arrival, contacting regional Latinos and creating a presence – particularly online.
Munoz soon founded the 'Latinos en Penticton y el sur del Okanagan' (Latin Americans in Penticton and South Okanagan) Facebook group, which he says has since ballooned to 1500 members. And by 2022 he'd organized his first event – a relaxed day at Skaha Lake Park he dubbed the "Latino Picnic."
But after the Picnic's second edition last year, Munoz wanted to take it to another level. He'd launch a full-blown festival, with musicians, dancers, vendors, food trucks, a beer garden and more. And hopefully a bunch of enthusiastic attendees too.
Sunday his dream became reality. And Munoz himself was in the midst of it all day, evidently enjoying all he'd created.
"I'm so happy with the turnout," he said when we pulled him off the dance floor. "We've been getting great feedback. I'm beyond excited."
Munoz figures the secrets to his success are far from mysterious.
"I think the Okanagan doesn’t have anything like this," he said. "I think people enjoy other cultures and I think Canadians are pretty familiar with us. We're so close to Mexico and Latin America. I think Canadians generally crave it."
But for a first-time event planner, the past few months have been alternately rewarding and stressful.
"It’s been difficult at times," he admitted. "I struggled with the funds. I struggled putting it together. But many people have helped me. It's been great support from the community."
One of those community members is long-time Penticton event whiz Barb Schneiderat (Penticton Oktoberfest and more). Munoz rewarded her with a shout-out Sunday afternoon that garnered much applause.
"Yeah I've been involved in a few events," cracked Schneiderat. "I just love the Latin culture and Bruno asked for help and I said I’d do what I could. And here we are."
Schneiderat believes Munoz' event is a keeper.
"We got a grant from Travel Penticton and then I went to some of the motels and hotels and got some sponsorship for him," she said. "An event like this takes some money. Next year we’ll be even bigger and better, no doubt."
Two more believers came in the form of local food truckers Maria Melendez of Fiesta Mexicana and Mauricio Cepeda of A Taste of Argentina. Both sold out of all their food just a couple hours in.
"We were ready for 500 people," said an incredulous Melendez, "and now it's all gone."
Fiesta Mexicana got a chance to replenish its stock and began serving again late in the afternoon.
"We're just so happy," she added. "We've never had a day this busy and we're just so proud to be here. We’re so happy to share our culture and our recipes."
A Taste of Argentina's Cepada was equally stunned by the turnout.
"We didn’t anticipate having this many people," he said. "We sold out in two hours. It was crazy. So we'll make sure we'll be ready the next time around."
One of the day's most popular performers was six-piece Kelowna-based Salsa band Major Mambo, which pounded out the Latin beats for a couple hours and kept the dance floor filled.
Another was Kelowna's all-volunteer Somos Columbia Dance Group, which energetically entertained the crowd for an hour or more with a variety of Columbian dance routines, each of which featured complete costume changes.
"Some of us work, some are students, some are housewives," explained co-founder and director Carolina Restrepo. "We get together and we volunteer our time. And any donation we receive we invest in our outfits and dresses that are made by artisans in Columbia."
According to Restrepo, the organization has a couple of key objectives.
"First, we want to keep our culture alive," she said. "We came to Canada, but at the same time we want to show Canada our culture because we need to make society more inclusive.
"And Columbia is a country that sometimes has a bad reputation. So we want to show something different about our country, about our heritage."
Somos first performed in Penticton in February of this year at the OneWorld Muilticultural Festival. And they were happy to be back.
"I love it here," said Restrepo. "People have been so receptive."
The event, which began near noon and finished in the dinner hour, wasn't perfect. There were a few teething pains and audio glitches along the way.
But for a first-timer, it was perfect enough. And as the day went on, it hit its stride and flourished.
Munoz is already committed to a follow-up in 2025.
"We'll definitely do it again," he said. "I plan to do it every year in the summer, and I plan to make it bigger and bigger every year.
"The community wants it. You can see it. We can make Penticton the Latin capital of the Okanagan."
