Local Colombian community comes together to celebrate Independence Day
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 23/07/2018 (2837 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Music filled Rideau Park on Saturday as people clothed in yellow, blue and red dress danced their way across the grass to celebrate Colombian Independence Day.
The three colours represent the Colombian flag, and Saturday was about recognizing all that it stands for.
“We want to keep together our Colombian community,” said Teresa Castro, who lives in Brandon. She wore a tri-coloured eye mask proudly displaying the colours of the flag.
Dozens of cars and floats decked out with Colombian colours and props paraded along 18th Street and Victoria Avenue, while drivers honked and waved to other drivers and pedestrians along the way, before ending up at the park. A performance of both the Canadian and Colombian national anthems were slated for later in the afternoon.
At one point in the celebration, “Colombia!” was shouted enthusiastically by one person, and cheers from about 120 people ensued.
A massive flag had been placed between two trees for those interested to pose with for photos.
Pets even got in on the celebration, with dogs wearing little outfits with the country colours.
“All the community participated (in getting the event together), said Eliana Osorio, one of the organizers of Saturday’s event.
“We are very kind people, we take care of each other, we want to take this day to be together and celebrate our country,” said Castro, who dressed up her dog with a shirt and a blue loofah in honour of Independence Day.
Besides being an opportunity to celebrate with others who share the same culture, it was also about taking time to share that culture with others in the Wheat City.
“We’re going to take the whole day and show Brandon our culture,” Castro said.
Friday marked 208 years of independence for Colombia, and it was the first time the celebration in Brandon has been held in Rideau Park. In previous years, it was held in Kin Park, Castro said, but the celebration was moved to accommodate the number of people who attend the event.
“This is the biggest day that we are doing, other times (were) good but not as big as this one,” Castro said.
It was an important day for those in attendance. Valentina Cardenas was looking forward to the dancing and the food, but also the chance to show pride for her country.
“Because we’re far away from our country and we feel we should do something for our country since we feel so proud of it,” she said in Rideau Park on Saturday afternoon.
» mverge@brandonsun.com
» Twitter: @Melverge5
