Experience the tastes and traditions of Charleston’s Latin American community

Celebrate Charleston’s vibrant Latin and Caribbean cultures at the Latin American Festival, Sunday, Oct. 5 at Wannamaker County Park, from 12 – 5 p.m.!

Charleston County Parks invites you to immerse yourself in the authentic music, dance and food found throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. This annual festival brings people together to celebrate Charleston’s vibrant Latin cultures through non-stop merengue, reggaeton, bachata and salsa music; folkloric artwork and crafts; and authentic foods. A variety of food vendors will be on site selling Latin and Caribbean foods and desserts, from flavorful empanadas to tasty arroz con pollo.

Gates to the event open at 12 p.m., and the entertainment schedule is:

1 p.m.: Rumbao Latin Dance Group
1:45 p.m.: Furia Tropikal
3 p.m.: Salsa Contest with DJ Luigi
3:45 p.m.: Magic Juan

Children’s games and an educational area will also be presented by the Charleston County Public Library. Food, beverages and souvenirs will be available for purchase for an additional fee.

Admission to the Latin American Festival is $20 per vehicle in advance (up to 15 people per vehicle) or $25 per vehicle at the event gate. Gold Pass holders are admitted free. No outside food, alcohol or coolers permitted. Pets are not allowed at this event. Accessible parking and accessible restrooms will be available at this event. An accessibility tent with Kulture City sensory bags for checkout will be available.

About the Entertainment Lineup

• Kicking off at 1 p.m. will be a performance by Rumbao Latin Dance, a Charlotte-based dance group founded in 2013. The group performs salsa dance as well as Cha-Cha, Merengue, Bachata and Brazilian Samba.
• North Carolina-based Furia Tropikal will perform at 1:45 p.m. The cover band has a repertoire that includes old school hits from La Sonora Dinamita to popular reggaeton sensation Maluma with a cumbia twist.
• Musical headliner Magic Juan is a Dominican-American urban Latin pioneer, widely known as the King of Merengue Hip Hop and the former lead rapper and singer of the group Proyecto Uno. His contributions to Latin music have earned him numerous accolades, including the Billboard Latin Music Awards, Premios Juventud,and an Emmy award. Magic Juan will perform starting at 3:45 p.m.