Fiesta! at Guild Hall

By Tiffany Razzano

Celebrating Latino culture, Guild Hall will host Fiesta!, a free day of family fun for all ages, on Sunday, Nov. 8 from 1-5:30 p.m.

This is the first time the venue is hosting the event since it began its renovation of the John Drew Theater last year. Typically, Fiesta! is held each spring, but with the recent completion of the theater, Guild Hall decided the fall would be a great time to once again celebrate the Latin American heritage that is so prevalent on the East End. "It's not just for the Latin American community out here," said Melissa Erb, associate for public programming at Guild Hall. "It's a great way to bring the entire community together."

The day will kick off with a gallery talk - in both Spanish and English - with artists whose work has been recently acquired by the museum, between 1 and 2 p.m. Featured artists include Linda Alpern, Judith Boucher, Stephanie Brody Lederman, Philippe Cheng, Jennifer Cross, Peter Dayton, Dorothy Frankel, David Gamble, Eunice Golden, John Hardy, William King, Cynthia Knott, Rima Mardoyan, Paton Miller, Bastienne Schmidt, Joan Semmel, and Darius Yektai. Next, dancers from New York City's Calpulli Mexican Dance Company will take the new stage in the John Drew Theater between 2 and 3 p.m. The group, which culls its name from the Nahuatl word that refers to Aztec clans that were organized by their trade, is committed to educational programming and performances touting Mexican dance, music and theatre. The performers dress in full native costume and take members from the audience on stage to learn the dances to make for a truly interactive afternoon, Erb said.

Art teachers and students from local schools will volunteer their time for the children's arts and craft workshop between 3 and 4 p.m. Children will get a hands on look at traditional Latin American crafts, such as Mexican ornaments and Chilean rainsticks.

For older children and teenagers, as well as adults, the day will be rounded out by a showcase of local musicians sponsored by Crossroads Music. Mr. No-Shame, a group that features musicians from different ethnic backgrounds, will perform their eclectic sound, which mixes rock music with jazz, Latin music and funk. Raul Cardenas, a songwriter from Ecuador will also perform, as will Duo Sentimenal: Rafael y Juan, who are from Colombia and part of the group Escola De Samba Boom.

"We're trying to tap into a wide range of audiences," Erb said. "It's a really full day and we're doing a lot of different things." Guild Hall is expecting several hundred people to turn out for the event, and already they're hoping to expand it to a week-long event next year, she added.

For more information about Fiesta! and other upcoming events, go to guildhall.org.

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