Pentictonѻý newest free festival guarantees great food, great vibes and a great time.
On Sunday, the inaugural Penticton Latin Rhythm Fest will debut at Skaha Lake Park and all local residents are invited to share in the Latin-inspired fun that promises great food and drinks from Mexico, Central and South America.
The festival is the brainchild of proud Latino and Pentictonite Bruno Munoz, a friendly Mexican-born man who moved to Canada in 2009 and to the Okanagan from the Lower Mainland in 2021 and immediately got to work spearheading a local Latin revival of sorts.
“When I first moved here from Vancouver, I became very involved in the Latino community,” said Munoz. “I realized there was nothing (online). So the first thing I did was open a Facebook group called ‘Latinos en Penticton y el sur del Okanagan’ (Latin Americans in Penticton and South Okanagan). It started with three people and now we’re at 1,500.”
A year after his arrival he crafted his first Okanagan social event, a laid-back affair he called the Latino Picnic ,which was also held at Skaha Lake Park and attracted approximately 150 people with very little promotion.
A year later in 2023, he organized a second Latino Picnic and this time pulled in 300 guests.
Heѻý now put together a full-blown festival. Headlining the day will be ѻý-based Latin band Major Mambo, a five-piece group Munoz guarantees will “definitely have everyone dancing.”
There’ll be plenty of food too, much of it of Latin heritage, including one food truck called Fiesta Mexicana and another called Choripan - A Taste of Argentina.
Munoz also promises a number of vendors and artisans, all with Latin themes. And for thirsty adults, Penticton-based brewery Abandoned Rail will be on site with a beer garden.
The event will kick off at noon with a nice opening ceremony, including salsa dancing and the rest of the afternoon is one big family-friendly, diversity-friendly party.
Munoz is “stoked and very excited” and hopes the non-profit society heѻý created called Penticton Latino Society will continue to grow.
The first annual Penticton Latin Rhythm Fest kicks off at noon Sunday and is scheduled to run through to 7 p.m.
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