Festival Latino! is a free, family-friendly event celebrating family and community with two days of children’s activities, music, food, fashion, art, and dance from the heart of Latin America.

Schedule Of Events

11AM : DJ Cale

DJ Cale, born in Honduras and raised in Queens, has been serving the Latino community in Columbus for over 20 years. He owns The Cave Bar & Lounge, a multicultural hub for music enthusiasts. Known for his empathy and passion for music, DJ Cale was named the first “Padrino” of The Hispanic Heritage Parade 2023 by the city of Columbus.

1:15PM : Ale Almanza

Ale Almanza is originally from Santa Marta, Colombia and comes from a family of artists, where she was instilled with a love for the sounds of her land since she was a little girl. After living in Mexico she settled in Columbus, where she has become a benchmark of Latin music. This year she received the Musical Artist of the Year award at the Hispanic Business Awards. She is currently promoting her latest unreleased single, “Adivina Que” with accordionist Maireth Zambrano.

2PM : Carlos Rubio - Salsa Lessons

Take a salsa dance lesson from “The Salsa King of Ohio.” Carlos Rubio is an instructor at the Salsamante Dance Academy and Ohio’s all-time winning-est salsa dancer.

2:45PM : Chupeta de Ajo, Tributo al Rock en Espanol

Columbus-based Venezuelan singer, songwriter, and musician Víctor Zancudo is a longtime local performer with a variety of bands. His latest, Chupeta de Ajo, is a rock group covering Spanish-language rock songs by bands from Venezuela and beyond.

3PM : Salsamante Dance Academy

Salsamante Dance Academy has been teaching Salsa, Bachata & Cha Cha Chá in the Columbus, Mid-Ohio area for 12 years now. Lead by Carlos Rubio – Salsa King of Ohio. The high energy & rhythm that Salsamante brings will always make the Festival Latino more memorable.

4:15PM : Daniela Darcourt

Born in Lima, Peru, Daniela Darcourt is one of the most promising South American artists. With a career that began at age 8 as part of various musical projects, the singer has been developing a solo career in salsa since 2018, the year she released her album Esa Soy Yo, which includes 14 songs recorded in the Dominican Republic under the tutelage of producer Master Chris. The album also featured tracks “Adiós Amor” and “Señor Mentira,” which currently has over 53 million views on YouTube.  During this time, Daniela Darcourt has been nominated for Breakthrough Artist and Best Southern Artist at the fourth edition of the HTV Heat Awards, in addition to being the number 1 artist on the CHART HOT 100 IN PERU, for two years and four consecutive singles. Daniela Darcourt has collaborated with renowned local and international artists, including the Puerto Rican group N’Klabe. In 2020, maestro Tito Nieves invited the singer to be the artist for his song “Si Tú Te Atreves,” a track that is opening many doors for the young singer internationally.  In November 2021, Daniela Darcourt performed two sold-out concerts at the Lima Exhibition Park Amphitheater called “El Reencuentro,” an event that resulted in two live albums, El Reencuentro Vol. 1 and El Reencuentro Vol. 2, as well as a prime-time television program open to all of Peru. Daniela Darcourt has been a coach on La Voz Perú in all three versions during 2021, where she was the youngest coach in the world of the TV format.  Daniela’s most recent album, Empezando Otra Vez, was released in 2022 featuring the single “No Me Lo Creo” with Tito Nieves. 

5PM : El Corazon de Mexico Ballet Folklorico

Toledo-based dance company El Corazon de Mexico Ballet Folklorico (The Heart of Mexico) will demonstrate the beauty and charm of traditional Mexican dances.

6:30PM : Los Rabanes

Los Rabanes is one of the most emblematic fusion rock bands in Latin America. Their musical career has positioned them as a leading avant-garde fusion band in the Latin music industry. They have earned a Latin Grammy Award (2007), toured worldwide, received international acclaim, and recorded with leading producers such as Emilio Estefan and Ruben Blades. Members: Emilio Regueira (guitar and vocals), Christian “Pipón” Torres (bass), Javier Saavedra, and Randy Cuevas (keyboards).