Ed. Note: I'm happy to bring you this post from contributor Daniel Bastardo about tomorrow's Latino Memphis Fest! Be sure to check out the shuttle information and avoid parking apocalypse at Overton Park.

Did someone say Fiesta?! Pack your running shoes, dancing shoes and flip flops and head over to Overton Park this coming Saturday, May 13th, to be part of the Latino Memphis Festival! This year the Latino Memphis Festival promises to be an especially big fiesta, as it celebrates beautiful Colombia, in partnership with the Memphis in May International Festival. The festival goes from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Overton Park. As always, admission is free, though a $5 donation is suggested to support the great work Latino Memphis does in our community (this is actually one of their biggest fundraiser of the year). Learn about what Latino Memphis does here. The festival starts with Fiesta 5K: A Run for Unity, at 9 a.m. Your $25 registration includes a commemorative t-shirt, ice cold Memphis Made beer for runners 21+, prizes for the winners, and a yummy Chick-fil-A sandwich. Learn more about the Fiesta 5K here and register for it here. You can also register on-site starting at 8 a.m., but fee goes up to $30 and t-shirt is not guaranteed. Do you like to Zumba? After the race, keep your sporty shoes on and head over to the main stage of the festival to enjoy the Colombian Zumbathon. Fun fact (trivia worthy): Zumba was conceived by a Colombian dancer and choreographer named Alberto "Beto" Perez during the 1990s. Expect a day full of activities and performances at the main stage and throughout the festival. Don't miss performances by the Colombian Folkloric Ballet of Houston, the 2017 World Salsa Summit Champions, and the Futboleros (the Harlem Globetrotters of Soccer).

 

A post shared by FUTBOLEROS (@futbolerosus) on May 3, 2017 at 10:52am PDT

Check out the full schedule of performances here. Hint: you will need your dancing shoes for the afternoon session as there might be some salsa dancing involved. What can I say… we are Latin Americans, we love to dance. My favorite part of the Latino Memphis Festival is the food. Don't get too distracted and make sure to have some authentic taste of Colombian cuisine during the festival. Our local restaurantes colombianos Mi Tierra Restaurant, Arepas Deliciosas, and El Sabor Latino, among other vendors, will be on-site ready to please your taste buds. This year the Latino Memphis Festival has a signature festival cocktail, named the Colombian Passion Fruit Mojito. I bet this "tropical handcrafted libation with a passion twist" will be one of the highlights of the festival. A handful of South Main restaurants and bars will be previewing the drink before the festival, so make sure to check it out; Rizzo's by Michael Patrick, Spindini, The Blue Monkey (downtown), and Cafe Pontotoc are the participating restaurants. Finally, there is the Memphis Salsa-Making Championship, a tradition of the Latino Memphis Festivals. Whether you are competing with a homemade salsa or simply tasting some of the salsa, this sure is going to be a hot competition.

Parking is free at the park but, if you have been to the Latino Memphis Festival before, you know it's going to get a little crazy. I suggest you walk, ride your bike, carpool and park at the Overton Square garage (which is free during the day, btw), or simply lyft there. Latino Memphis also has a shuttle program if you'll be festival hopping between this and Mid-South Food Truck Fest! So, are you ready for this Fiesta?

Go there: Latino Memphis Festival and Fiesta 5K Saturday, May 13, 2017 @ Overton Park 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free to enter