The Grand Rapids Hispanic Festival is back after last year's cancellation because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But this year isn't just about celebrating the Latino community, it's also about keeping them and the Grand Rapids area safe.
The 43rd annual event is featuring live entertainment, authentic food and crafts, as well as an incentive to get the vaccine. Cherry Health and the Kent County Health Department are teaming up to get 200 doses of the Pfizer and Johnson and Johnson vaccine to anyone interested.
Those who get the shot are eligible to take home a $100 Visa gift card. About 35 percent of the Hispanic population in Michigan is vaccinated, and event organizers hope to see that trend increase in West Michigan.
"I would say there's a lot of hesitancy in our Latino community," Hispanic Center of West Michigan Executive Director Evelyn Esparza-Garcia says. "We need to continue to increase those numbers to keep the community safe. The Latino community was very affected by COVID-19 so we want to make sure that we can move on."
Jose Perez with Cherry Health says it's crucial to get to where the people are.
"It's very important because a lot of the popular isn't vaccinated yet, and they're unaware of everything going on, so they can come here and get some information while they're out having fun," Perez says. "Hopefully (the incentive) helps."
This year's festival is also special for organizers after the 2020 festival got canceled.
"This is our main fundraiser of the year, and this is how we get unrestricted dollars to make sure we can cover administrative costs, so last year was tough for us," Esparza-Gonzalez says. "Having the opportunity today to celebrate with them and connect with them is very special for us."
You can enjoy the festival's live entertainment, food and crafts at the Calder Plaza from 12 P.M. to 12 A.M. Saturday, August 7th and from 12 P.M. to 6 P.M. Sunday, August 8th.
The vaccine clinic will be open from 12 P.M. to 4 P.M. throughout the weekend.
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Subscribe to our YouTube channel.