THE th ANNUAL ALBANY LATINFEST

The Albany LATINFEST is a full day, family-oriented festival with musical performances highlighting the diversity of Hispanic musical genres; a wide array of food, arts and crafts vendors; children's amusements; and community, government, and business information booths.  The event is staged in Albany's Washington Park at the end of August each year from 11am to 6pm.

As a cultural event, LATINFEST celebrates the beauty and diversity of the Hispanic cultural heritage and acknowledges the contributions made by Hispanic Americans on local, state, national, and international levels..  It has established a hallmark, traditional cultural event for a burgeoning portion of the local community that is currently under served and under represented, as well as for the larger Albany community.

Past festivals have displayed talents such as Tito Rojas, Tony Swing, Anissa Gathers, Michael Stuart, Ismael Miranda, Jose Alberto 'El Canario', Chembo Corniel, Puerto Rican Power, Spanish Harlem Orchestra, Frankie Negron, Kevin Ceballo, Luisito Carrion, Nestor Torres, Jimmy Bosch, Brenda K. Starr, Choco Orta, Larry Harlow and the Latin Legends, Joe Cuba, and many others.

THE ALBANY LATINFEST ASSOCIATION

The Albany Latin Festival Association (ALFA) is a 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to promote and develop Hispanic cultural events in the Capital Region of the State of New York, for the purpose of acknowledging the contributions of Hispanic performing artists and promoting an appreciation for multi-cultural diversity.

ALFA's initial efforts have resulted in the successful establishment of the Albany LATINFEST as an annual free performance event in Albany, New York's Washington Park since 1996.  This is a significant achievement considering, the event is entirely produced by a voluntary board of directors who have other primary professional obligations.  The Association's success can be attributed to our ability to mobilize support on many levels including the local Hispanic community and small businesses, corporations, various elected officials, and other local non-profit organizations as well as the Office of Special Events of the City of Albany.

Notable Achievements (1996-present):
	Highlighted event of the 1997 Albany Bicentenary Celebration
	Designated Albany Summer Special Event by the City of Albany Office of Special Events
	Showcased local, nationally, and internationally renown artists
	Attracted increasing, multi-cultural audiences with an attendance of over 10,000 people
	Established alliances with community organizations for the provision of event volunteers
	Obtained grants from the Albany Community Development Agency and the Albany/Schenectady League of Arts
	Received financial support oflocal community members, small businesses, and corporations
	Secured media sponsorship from the Capital Region CW television