Local & State Headlines

Festival planning begins

• The organizers of Albany's Hispanic Education Festival hope to grow the event into a multicultural celebration.

Barbara Rivera Holmes

FESTIVAL MEETING WHAT: Organizational meeting for international festival WHEN: 9:30 a.m. Wednesday WHERE: Albany Area Chamber of Commerce, 225 W. Broad Ave., Albany INFORMATION: Call Ana Diaz-Torres at (229) 434-8700 ext. 209.

ALBANY — Though it started small, Albany’s grassroots Hispanic Education Festival has been a success since its inception.

Just a few years into it, more than 1,000 area people headed to downtown Albany for the 2007 event, which included, music, food, dance and information booths.

This year, event organizers are trying to branch out: They want to create an international festival that celebrates the many heritages of Southwest Georgia residents.

“We are looking for vendors and for people to dance and ... just be available to showcase their country,” said festival co- organizer Ana Diaz-Torres. “We need people from all over the community.”

But drawing in representatives of other nationalities has proved tougher than Diaz- Torres and her colleagues anticipated.

At an organization meeting last month at the Albany Area Chamber of Commerce, Diaz- Torres said just three people showed up.

“Without us displaying ourselves, there’s not going to be much (cultural) sensitivity,” she said. “Everything and everyone is welcome.”

On Wednesday, Diaz-Torres will give it another go when she hosts an organization meeting at 9 a.m. at the West Broad Avenue chamber building.

Although hopeful that folks will become involved, Diaz- Torres said the event will go on regardless. If nothing else, she said, there will certainly be a Hispanic festival come October.

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