Until 1989, the Latino Festival was held in Adams Morgan on Columbia Road for two days in the summer. Columbia Road was blocked from 16th Street all the way to 18th Street, I repeat FOR TWO DAYS!! There were several stages, but they were at least one long block apart from each other. The traditional parade would begin at Mt. Pleasant Street and end in Kalorama Park.
The Fiesta Latina today was too crowded, too short, and too much. Of course, the festival is fun, and always will be. Yet the intense effort it took to have fun leads one to think there must be a better way than crowding so many people and booths into a space not large enough to accomodate everything comfortably.
Here's some impressions I took away:
La Reina del Feista y su madre
The Moroccan Flag? Hey, that's not Latino.
Proud mother of Capital City students.
A lot of eating means a lot of clean up.
Lamont Park, a place to get away from the crowd?
A lot of people takes a lot of security.
First booth to greet the festival goers is occupied by the US Army
Eaters
Eaters
and more security.
Ambulance at the ready, next to an HIV awarness set up.
Fire marshall has to be there too, in case any of the fires get out of control.
Near the south exit of the festival, one officer strolls on high alert, with walkie-talkie in hand and gun at his side.
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