First-ever Empanada Fest celebrates Hispanic food, culture | Whiting News

Whiting Councilwoman Rebeca Uñate Michko, D-2nd, serves as chairperson for the group and mentioned she could not consider the day had lastly arrived for the fest that it started planning final fall.

“I am completely excited to deliver the tradition right here,” Uñate Michko mentioned.

She mentioned she didn’t know of the town ever having any occasion to have a good time Hispanic heritage beforehand, and that if this yr’s fest is successful, the plan is to make it an annual taking place.

The timing was excellent as Nationwide Hispanic Heritage Month runs from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15.

A full day of musical leisure with Hispanic taste that included dancers, an all-female mariachi band, a salsa band and free salsa classes served to create a full of life environment, and meals was additionally a serious focus.

There weren’t solely empanadas but in addition tacos, quesadillas, burritos, elote and even BBQ and pierogi for these with completely different tastes.

Ricardo Muñoz can be a member of the Whiting Hispanic Heritage Group and mentioned it was good to see the grins on folks’s faces as they loved the fest.

“It is actually gratifying to see it come to fruition,” Muñoz mentioned.

Muñoz mentioned the fest can function a approach to protect Hispanic traditions.

“I feel simply the final pleasure that we have acquired all through the planning course of, particularly this previous week, simply exhibits, I feel, the necessity for the neighborhood, particularly Northwest Indiana, for festivals like this,” Muñoz mentioned.

There was one thing for everybody on the competition: bounce homes within the household, or “familia,” part, a beer backyard, 18 craft distributors and 13 meals distributors and meals vehicles.

Noah Watkins, of Whiting, had a enjoyable tackle the Whiting Pierogi Fest’s well-liked Mr. Pierogi character.

The 12-year-old wearing a taco costume and sombrero and known as himself Señor Taco.

The idea of an empanada is just like a pierogi in that it’s dough stuffed with an limitless mixture of savory or candy fillings.

Esmeralda Velasco, of Chicago, and Bernice Calderon, of Park Ridge, got here from Illinois after discovering out in regards to the fest by way of Fb.

They waited in an extended empanada line, and Calderon mentioned she would have preferred to have seen extra distributors promoting the deal with.

“But it surely’s their first yr,” Calderon mentioned.

Kristin Swallow, of Highland, tried tacos as her son, Austin, had a tamale.

“We have been to the Pierogi Fest earlier than and loved it,” Swallow mentioned. “All people loves tacos, so we figured we might come out and take a look at it. And it looks as if it is off to a very good begin for the primary one.”

Swallow loved the placement on the lakefront.

“This seaside seems fairly good,” she mentioned. “We’ll have to come back again right here someday.”

Heather Van Dommelen, of Sauk Village, Illinois, was greater than happy together with her meals choice.

“These are one of the best tacos I’ve ever had,” she mentioned, after sampling the choices from the Flako’s Tacos meals truck.

Van Dommelen preferred that the fest was held within the park moderately than in downtown Whiting.

“It looks as if it is a bit of extra open,” she mentioned.