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Yadkin tries to reach out to Hispanics
Festival today will celebrate the culture of new residents
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Published: June 13, 2009
Updated: 06/13/2009 01:10 am
Yadkin County is known for its pastoral beauty and its burgeoning vineyards.
But this weekend, mariachis, folk dancers and congas will take over downtown Yadkinville.
The Yadkin Arts Council will hold -Viva!, its first festival celebrating all things Latin American, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. today on Jackson Street.
"We're really reaching in a sort of rural setting where this has not been done before," said John Willingham, the president of the arts council's board. "The people who have moved in have brought with them a wonderful culture that we need to learn about. If we are going to be what this country is all about, we will accept them and incorporate them into our lives."
The festival is an example of how Yadkin County is changing, too. The Arts Council holds a harvest festival to celebrate the county's agricultural roots in the fall, and a bluegrass festival in the spring, reflections of the area's traditions.
But like much of North Carolina in the past 20 years, Yadkin County has seen strong growth in its Hispanic population.
According to U.S. Census data, about 6.5 percent of the county's population was Hispanic in 2000, compared to 9.2 percent in 2008, an increase of 48.7 percent. In 2000, about 1 in 15 residents was Hispanic. Now, it's closer to one in 11.
Ingrid Castillo is a German immigrant. Her husband is Mexican. She is a receptionist at Yadkinville Elementary, where she also acts an interpreter for the school's Spanish-speaking students and parents. She also attends Divine Redeemer, a Hispanic Catholic church in Boonville, and has helped the arts council organize the festival along with other leaders tied into the Hispanic community.
"I've lived in Yadkin County since 1964, and when I first came there weren't any Mexicans. That's how the community has grown," she said. Many of the county's Hispanics are Mexican, but there are also people from other Spanish-speaking countries, including Ecuador, Columbia, Puerto Rico and Cuba, Willingham said.
"We wanted to do this for a number of years, and we just decided this was the year," he said. "We think it's time to have -Viva! and essentially allow people of diverse cultural backgrounds to showcase their cultures.
"We're hoping, though, the locals who are not Hispanic or Latin will come out, too," he added. "We want people to come and see how other people live and see the cultural diversity that's abundant in our community."
The arts council has advertised -Viva! in Spanish and English on billboards along major roads around the county such as U.S 421 and U.S. 601. Organizers are prepared for about 10,000 people.
In addition to live music and folk, salsa, merengue and flamenco dancing, there will be food vendors and an outdoor market.
■ Laura Giovanelli can be reached at 727-7302 or at lgiovanelli@wsjournal.com
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