The Lory Student Center Plaza bloomed with color as students and community members put together free bouquets of flowers during El Centro’s Flower Festival. The event occurred Wednesday, Oct. 1, and was held on Colorado State University’s campus to celebrate National Latinx/é Heritage Month.
The Flower Festival — Feria de Flores — is an annual Colombian tradition that honors women, the abolition of slavery and agriculture.
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“In Medellin, Feria de las Flores is a multiweek experience,” El Centro Director Aaron Escobedo Garmon said. “Today we are trying to provide just an echo of what happens in Colombia.”
The event entailed putting together bouquets, performing traditional Colombian dances and exploring Latinx/é culture.
The flowers alone played a significant role in the event.
“It goes beyond just giving away flowers, but we really get into the history and significance of the flowers in Colombia,” said Daniela Garcia, co-CEO and founder of the Latino Arts & Cultural Institute.
The event invited students to select a collection flowers and put together bouquets. As they gathered flowers, students were encouraged to stay and watch performances of traditional Colombian dancing as event coordinators educated attendees about the Flower Festival tradition.
“The flower aspect drew in a lot of people, both male and female,” student Rae Castillo said. “It brought people together.”
Dancers from Studio Colombia Dance Performance Team, an organization within LACI, performed several traditional dances in customary outfits in front of the crowd over the course of the event.
“For me, it’s part of being in touch with my roots,” said Laura Bayona, a dancer for LACI. “I was born in Colombia, but here in Denver, you don’t really get a lot of that, so I’ve learned a lot about my culture and dancing and just always being aware.”
Along with performing, dancers invited attendees to join them. The dancers taught different dance moves and asked the audience to dance alongside them in an effort to engage students in the celebration of Latinx/é heritage.
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“Performing gives me adrenaline and energy,” said Julio Martinez, co-CEO and founder of LACI. “I never feel like I am working when I am dancing, so it’s amazing. To prepare a show, to connect with people — it’s the best thing in the world.”
This is just one of the many events put on by El Centro. Latinx/é Heritage Month spans from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 every year. Throughout this period, El Centro hosts different events to celebrate Latinx/é heritage.
“Learning about all types of Latin American culture is what I love about El Centro events,” student Annalyse Jensen-Moore said.
These events provide education about Latinx/é traditions and culture and allow students and community members to be involved in unique cultural experiences.
“It’s really cool to see a culture that I’ve never really been able to experience before,” student Isabelle Schmetzer said.
El Centro aims to connect CSU students of all backgrounds through community engagement activities.
“I hope to accomplish an outreach to all of the Latinx students on campus as well as different cultures to be represented and teach people more things about Latin America,” said Alicia Valencia, El Centro liaison and lead liaison for Ram Events.
Event staff invited attendees to ask questions about the Flower Festival and provide feedback through QR codes as well as posters with markers, allowing students to share how the event resonated with them.
Reach Iris Causey-Peelor at life@collegian.com or on Twitter @CSUCollegian.