Grey skies and the occasional cloudburst did nothing to dampen the spirits
and enthusiasm of festival goers to Sandy’s first annual Fiesta en la Plaza.
The Fiesta, held on September 18 in the downtown civic Plaza, featured
music, food and free entertainment from Latin America.

“This was not just a good idea, but a wonderful idea,” said Sandy City
Councilor Olga Gerberg. “It is good to make the bridge between the cultures.
This gives an opportunity to bring the communities together and to learn from
each other’s culture.”

Suzanne Hicks, Associate Planner for the City of Sandy and a member of the
Fiesta planning committee, handed out community information at one of the
booths.

“We hope this will become an annual event for the entire community to
enjoy,” Hicks said. “And despite this weather, many have turned out to enjoy
the great food and entertainment.”

The Dance of the Old Men – despite its name – was a lively exhibition of toe-
tapping fun. The troupe featured migrant farm workers wearing colorful

costumes, masks and sombreros with ribbons. The dancers clattered on the
bricks of the plaza with wooden shoes, leaning on their canes and clutching
their backs like old men. The “Dance of the Old Men” is a traditional Mexican
dance.

The Fiesta also featured craft booths, an activity booth for children and
community group booths. Claudia Osorio Renata captured children’s attention
with her lively storytelling. After the stories, the children were shown how to
make puppets so they could take home a bit of the story.

Gerardo Calderon entertained the crowd with traditional Mexican music, and
Deputy Consul Jorge Torres-Mendoza represented the Mexican Consulate from
Portland.

The evening ended with Viva Mariachi Mexico, a mariachi band, who had the
audience clapping along and dancing to the music.

“Vengan a celebra con nosotros,” Gerberg said. “Come celebrate with us. If
you missed this year, come back next year.”

Anyone interested in helping to organize next year’s festival or volunteering at
the event can call Suzanne Hicks at 503-489-2163.