The City of Red Deer and the Downtown Business Association welcomes Fiestaval Latin Festival on Aug. 18 from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

This free one-day gathering on Ross St. and 49th Ave. promises to showcase the best of Latin dance, food, arts and crafts.

This year a full 12-piece mariachi band, Mariachi Internacional Azteca performs inside the beer gardens from 7 to 9 p.m. The listeners will hear musical influences from country, hip-hop, other genres of Latin music and traditional mariachi music.

“Our culture is one rich in celebration. We love to gather and dance and Fiestaval allows us to do that. There is a lot to take in as we perform for the City,” said Christian Greiffenstein, artistic coordinator.

Other acts this year are the Orquesta Salsabor Edmonton, Orquesta Latin Combo Calgary, and Red Deer’s own Grupo Conga. Así es Colombia Dance Group brings folk rhythms to the streets, while Los Copihues show the Chilean tradition.

Alejandro Rojas is a charismatic dance instructor and will be teaching Latin Dance classes to the public during the event.

For complete schedules and details, visit www.fiestaval.com.

-Weber