All Entries Tagged With: "Hispanic NoCo"
Valley of Flowers festival returns this weekend
Got your ride tickets? Florissant's 49th Valley of Flowers festival starts tomorrow...
There are few events more “North County” than Florissant’s annual Valley of Flowers festival, a four-day celebration of family fun, community spirit and a never-ending river of ice cold beer. Add in Cinco de Mayo activities, a carnival, a car show, a dog show, a plant sale, and a delightful parade complete with pageant-waving “queen candidates,” and I’d say FloTown is the place to be this weekend.
Like last year, the 2011 festivities kick off with a family night, when all carnival rides are just one ticket and family meal deals will be available. That’s Thursday, May 5, 4pm-8:30pm on the main fairgrounds at 50 rue St. Francois.
Starting on Friday, the festival opens to everyone. Also open: the beer garden. Hours that day are 4pm-8:30pm. Just be sure you head over to the Eagan Center if you have small children. From 5:30-8:30pm, the Theater Tent there will be filled all kinds of entertaining performers, including a magician, a puppeteer and a yo-yo artist. You can also catch the kids’ shows on Saturday – both in the tent and on the main fairgrounds.
If culture is your thing, don’t miss Matlachines de Tarasco, a Mexican dance troupe that acts out the story of Montezuma while wearing colorful folk costumes. They’ll be performing Friday and Saturday at the Eagan Center, along with Marionetas de la Esquina, a puppet theatre company from Mexico. The Cinco de Mayo Village will also feature Hispanic food, arts & crafts, and several other musical groups: Here’s the full schedule:
Friday, May 6
Noon to 1 p.m. — Interactive dance lessons with Obtavio Mexican dance teacher Elina Rosa
1 to 1:30 p.m. — Pinata
1:30 to 2 p.m. – Alma de Mexico
5 to 6 p.m. — Matlachines de Tarasco
6 to 7 p.m. — Marionetas de la Esquina
7 to 9:30 p.m. — Grupo Dukes
Saturday, May 7
10:30 to 11 a.m. —Merengue instruction with Elina, Kenya and DJ
11 to 11:30 a.m. — Marionetas de la Esquina
11:30 a.m. to noon — MRM
Noon to 2 p.m. — SEED Program (dancers from 7 countries!)
2 to 2:30 p.m. — Marionetas de La Esquina
2:30 to 3 p.m. — Latin Rhythms Bachata performance
3:30 to 4 p.m. — Grupo Inspiracion
4 to 5 p.m. — Matlachines de Tarasco
5 to 8 p.m. — Los Quintins
On Sunday, after you’ve recovered from merengue lessons, grab your lawn chair and find a choice viewing spot for the Valley of Flowers parade. Starting at 1:45pm from the Eagan Center, it will travel west on Parker, south on New Florissant, west on St. Francois and south on St. Ferdinand before ending at Washington.
Word has it there are 125+ entries this year, and of course Sunday is Mothers’ Day, so the parade theme is Mothers Love…
See you there?
For more information on Valley of Flowers, including a complete list of scheduled activities, visit the VoF website. You can also read more about the Cinco de Mayo activities by looking here.
Hispanic Festival returns to Florissant THIS WEEKEND!
Folkloric dancers will be among the many entertainers performing at the 2010 Fiesta in Florissant, scheduled for June 26 & 27
Brush up on your Spanish and pull out your dancing shoes! It’s almost time for another Hispanic Festival in Florissant!
Thanks to the wonderful rise of North County’s Hispanic population, all of us get to enjoy this colorful two-day event and its rich array of cultural and edible delights. This year’s featured performer is the red hot Kansas City salsa band, Son Venezuela, performing Saturday, June 26, from 6-10pm, but fair goers will also be able to see multiple Latino bands and folk dancers from various countries.
A wide variety of authentic food and beverage will be available (including margaritas!), and the kids can have fun with pinatas, inflatable rides and a petting zoo. Another great attraction: folk arts and crafts from all over Latin and South America.
If you haven’t attended the Fiesta in Florissant before, don’t miss this one! I went a couple years ago and had a blissful (sweaty) evening of tacos, salsa dancing and plenty of ice cold cerveza!
The Fiesta in Florissant will take place June 26, 10am-10pm and June 27, 11am-9pm, @ Knights of Columbus Park (where Valley of Flowers is held) near Lindbergh and Washington.
Overland, Olé!
Could this be home of the best Mexican food in North County?
When I lived in Los Angeles, one of my favorite restaurants was a tiny walk-up burrito stand just a few blocks from my house, where I could buy the most delicious, authentic Mexican food for less than five bucks. Simple and homey, it was like many “taquerias” that you find in Hispanic neighborhoods – a family-run, community gathering spot, open every day at 6am.
Taqueria La Pasadita, located at 2336 Woodson Rd in Overland, doesn’t open quite so early (9am) but it does serve up the same warm atmosphere and the same fabulous food as my favorite place in LA. Housed in one of NoCo’s many cleverly recycled Taco Bells, it’s a clean, pretty spartan place inside, but nearly everything on the menu is awesome.
Tacos come in eight varieties, including muy auténtico chicharron (pork skin) and al pastor (barbecued pork), and they’re just $1.89 each. Tortas (sandwiches) come in ten varieties for $5.99 each. And the enchilada plate, just $6.99, comes with steak or chicken, plus rice, beans, lettuce, sour cream, and freshly made green or red sauce.
I can’t recommend one particular dish. Really, every single thing I’ve tried has been excellent. But if you like simple, home-cooked Mexican food, you will love Taqueria La Pasadita.
Dine-in, take out and limited delivery. Mon-Th 9am-9:30pm, Fri-Sat 9am-10:30pm, and Sun 9am-8:30pm. (314) 428-3832
Taqueria La Pasadita, one of many Hispanic-owned businesses to open in the Overland/St. Ann area in the past several years
Are you getting ready for the big day? NOCO is a proud sponsor of the 3rd annual Live Well Ferguson 5K