Hispanic Heritage Festival 2019 in Dayton: What to eat, experience

Get ready for dancing, food and fun at the Hispanic Heritage Festival. The event celebrates its 19th year from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14 at RiverScape MetroPark.

The Hispanic Heritage Festival benefits the Puerto Rican, American and Caribbean Organization (PACO), according to the official website.

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The festival is PACO's largest fundraiser of the year and it enables PACO to provide scholarships to local Hispanic students, events to support the local Hispanic community and promote Hispanic culture, and other charitable initiatives.

Credit: Tom Gilliam

The free event is packed with food from Hispanic cultures, a parade featuring costumed groups, an expanded children's area as well as music and dance all day.

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Explore PHOTOS: Did we spot you dancing the day away at the 2018 Hispanic Heritage Festival?

Credit: Tom Gilliam

DON'T MISS THIS STUFF 👇

🎶 The music

Throughout the day, DJs will spin tunes and live music will fill the air with traditional, lively sounds. Artists include Cuban music from the Amador Sisters, the Kentucky Salsa All Stars and Grupo Fuego.

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💃 Let's dance
Dance troupe Salsannati will give bachata and salsa dance lessons, Rondalla Puerto Rico will perform and there will also be 20 minutes of zumba to get the blood pumping.

Credit: Tom Gilliam

👦👧 Children's area
Grown-ups don't have all the fun at this festival. A children's area will be set up to keep the niños and niñas muy contento. The children's area closes at 5 p.m.

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😋 The food
Make sure you're hungry. There's no way you could eat all this great food from Bolivia, Argentina, Peru, Coloombia, Puerto Rico, Mexico and more.

Here's the full rundown of food vendors who will be on site:

Antojitos Criollos (Puerto Rican)
Sweet P's Handcrafted Ice Pops (Popsicles)
El Meson (Latin Fusion, Colombian)
Festival Fresh Popcorn (Popcorn)
The Best of the Best Piña Colada (Frozen drinks & Colombian)
Dayton Island Grill (Puerto Rican, Frozen drinks, Latin Fusion)
Taqueria El Paisa (Mexican)
Kona Ice (Shaved Ice)
La Costeñita (Mexican)
CocoBongos (Frozen drinks)
MashedRoots Mofongo Bar (Puerto Rican)
Panaderia Oaxaqueña (Mexican)
Salar (Peru, France, Fusion)
Ritter's Frozen Custard of Kettering (Ice Cream)
Tito's Tex-Mex Carrito (Tex-Mex)
La Pampa Mobile Grill (Argentinean)
Iglesia del Dios Vivo Columna y Apoyo de la Verdad - La Luz del Mundo (El Salvador, Mexican)
Food Truck El Buen Taco (Mexican)
Nelly's LLC (Bolivian)
El Sabor de la Vida (Latin Fusion, Colombian)
Fino Sur (Peruvian)
Panamanian Friends Association (Panamanian)