Downtown Holland hosts annual cultural celebration

Jul 15

Latin Americans United for Progress (LAUP) is partnering with the City of Holland to host its annual Fiesta Week in Downtown Holland. The week culminates with the annual LAUP Fiesta celebration and car show on Saturday, July 20, and Sunday, July 21, at the Holland Civic Center Place, 150 West 8th St. One of the longest-running events in West Michigan, LAUP Fiesta now draws over 20,000 attendees each year.

As part of Fiesta Week, LAUP will host the Kids Activities at the Holland Farmers Market on Wednesday, July 17. The day will start with an interactive bilingual storytime featuring acclaimed children's entertainer Super Stolie, presented by the Herrick District Library from 9:30 to 10 a.m. Following the storytime, LAUP will engage children in a hands-on educational activity where they will learn about traditional Latinx fruits and vegetables. Additionally, LAUP's Los Salserines will provide free salsa dancing lessons, encouraging kids and their parents to get active outdoors with great music.

"We are thrilled to partner with the Holland Farmers Market for LAUP Fiesta Week," said Johnny Rodriguez, Executive Director, LAUP. "Our collaboration bridges the community to resources, services, and celebrations. By inviting everyone to join us in celebrating Fiesta Week and Latino culture, we fulfill our mission pillar of celebration and foster community engagement."

LAUP's mission is to empower Latinos to create a better community for all through advocacy, celebration, and education. LAUP aims to be the center of influence in the local Latino community, building bridges to opportunities and creating pathways to success for all. They offer a variety of educational programs for youth and adults, provide services to the Spanish-speaking community, and host several events throughout the year, including their annual gala, a youth leadership conference, and Fiesta.

The weekly kids' activities schedule at the Holland Farmers Market is available on the market’s Facebook page. Kids activities are sponsored by Corewell Health.

For more information about LAUP Fiesta, visit https://www.holland.org/laup-fiesta/.