Dancers, food and music 'bring back memories of our country,' attendees say at Viva Brevard Festival
PALM BAY — Dancers dressed in colorful skirts dancing under the hot October sun in Palm Bay on Saturday brought friends Shelley Mangual and Flor Gonzalez back to their home in Panama.
“(The dancers) bring back memories of our country,” said Gonzalez, who immigrated to the United States from Panama at least 45 years ago.
The two friends attended the Viva Brevard Festival on Saturday afternoon at Fred Poppe Regional Park in Palm Bay with about 250 others in the community. Vendors filled the grassy area outside the park's community center, selling handmade jewelry, clothing and trinkets, as well as providing information on local organizations and candidates running for state and local government. Music pumped from speakers set up on a stage behind the building, and friends and family reconnected as they walked through the festival.
The festival’s proceeds go to the Brevard Hispanic Center in Palm Bay, which works to help individual and families with resources for education, health services, family issues, immigration and economic empowerment.
While Mangual enjoyed the memories the festival brought back, she also said she liked getting to see other's cultures and their similarities to her own.
"You get to know more people from different countries, different styles, different mentalities, different conversations," she said. "You share each other’s interest in anything, food, companions, places, just depends. It’s a big joy for different countries."
Just before 2 p.m., Palm Bay Mayor Rob Medina, whose family is from Puerto Rico, addressed the crowd, expressing gratitude for the celebration.
“We live in a day where we can truly celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month," he said. "We can truly say that from all different parts of the islands or the Caribbean or Latin America, we can be proud.”
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Other speakers included Palm Bay City Councilman and Deputy Mayor Kenny Johnson, Councilman Donny Felix and Javier Molinares, president of the Brevard Hispanic Center.
Medina encouraged visitors to support the Brevard Hispanic Center and its work in helping local Spanish speakers learn English. "Our Latin American community needs your support," he said. "They’re out here to garner that support."
Irma Albino, who moved to the U.S. mainland from Puerto Rico when she was 14 years old, said she enjoys events like this one because of the information they provide.
"It's good to put together ... community, to get information that lots of people don't know," the 63-year-old said, adding that she appreciated vendors providing information on foster care, mental health services and how to start a business. "When they come here, it makes it easier."
For others, the festival was a way to connect with others and sell their handmade items. Lucelena Speck, a Cocoa resident who grew up in Colombia, was selling jewelry and décor she and her siblings made.
"It’s important because people have the chance to show — if they make something, they can sell it, and people can get together," she said.
She said she hasn't sold her items in a long time but was excited to be able to offer them at the festival.
"I haven't done it for a long time," she said. "I'm going to start doing something (to make a website for my business), because I have so much in the house."
Saturday's festival is a prelude to the following weekend's Puerto Rican Day parade in Palm Bay. Albino said she will be a part of the parade.
"It is my pleasure to be there," she said. "It's an honor and pleasure."
Finch Walker is a Breaking News Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Walker at 321-290-4744 or fwalker@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @_finchwalker
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This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Hispanic Heritage Month celebrated at Viva Brevard fest n Palm Bay
