Cultures to share languages, traditions and food

A NEW tradition is in the making with the third annual Bendigo Latin Festival set to take place in March.

The festival was started by Hispanos Unidos de Victoria, a not-for-profit organisation formed of people from Spanish speaking cultures and Brazil.

HUD secretary Miriam Casas said the group was created in 2017 by a group of six Bendigo locals, three from Mexico and three from Australia.

“We wanted to start having things in Bendigo, versus always having to go to Melbourne so we created Hispanos Unidos de Victoria,” she said.

HUD hosts regular social networking events for Spanish speakers, and anyone interested in learning more about the language or culture.

The group also celebrates significant Latin events including Mexico’s Dia de los Muertos or the day of the dead, and from Colombia Dia de la Velitas which translates as little candles day.

In 2022, Hispanos Unidos de Victoria held their first Latin Festival, which was attended by up to 600 people who braved the rain to participate, and the second year reached up to 4000 attendees.

“We thought it was just going to gradually build but the reality is there are a lot of Latinxs in regional Victoria,” Ms Casas said.

The festival brings together different Latin cultures to celebrate with music, traditional dance, and food.

The president of HUD Jorge Restrepo said the group aimed to include all Spanish speaking cultures in addition to people who wanted to experience what they have to offer.

“We are inviting everybody, everybody who can speak Spanish, and everybody who wants to participate,” he said.

Several local groups help support the festival, including the 309 Army Cadet Unit, Shechem Outdoor Experiences, Eaglehawk Dahlia festival and UFS pharmacy, who are sponsoring the event this year.

The Bendigo Latin festival will take place in the Garden of the Future on 23 March from 11am to 6pm.