OLIVEBRIDGE, N.Y. — The Día de Las Familias Festival, a free music and arts festival held entirely in Spanish, is returning for a second year to the Ashokan Center.
Día de Las Familias is scheduled for Sunday, May 19. It will run from noon to 5 p.m. at the Ashokan Center, 477 Beaverkill Road. Free food will be available from 12 to 4 p.m., with beans, rice, empanadas, chicken, tacos, and more available.
Ruth Ungar Merenda, director of Community Outreach for the center, said she is excited about what the event has to offer for the local Spanish-speaking community. “We really wanted to reach out to a segment of the community that might not always know that they’re welcome here,” Merenda said.
The event is an opportunity for attendees to connect with nature, something that might be difficult for those living in urban environments, according to Merenda. “From what I’m learning, a lot of immigrants to the Hudson Valley are living in the city but originated in a more rural place,” she said. “To provide a day in nature, something free to the public, and have a celebratory, positive energy really appealed to us.”
The Día de Las Familias festival is set to feature a lineup of bands from different countries in Latin America. Jazz and flamenco guitarists Dúo Andalucía, originally from Nicaragua, will be performing, as well as Guatemalan ensemble Marimba Herencia Maya and Cuban vocalist Xiomara Laugart, who will be performing with her son, Axel Tosca.
Merenda said the lineup will conclude with a Son Jarocho showcase, featuring traditional music from Veracruz, Mexico. “It’s acoustic music played on instruments and foot percussion and singing,” she said. “It’ll just be like this big party with all these wonderful acoustic musicians.”
The showcase is part of a larger weekend camp, with Son Jarocho music being taught to enthusiasts of all skill levels and backgrounds. “It’s going to be a really deep, authentic experience,” Merenda said.
Outdoor activities, emblematic of the Ashokan Center, will also take place that day. The activities will include nature walks and canoeing. “Those are elements of really just getting out and seeing nature, exploring wildlife, plants, flowers, trees,” Merenda said.
Día de Las Familias will offer free transportation from Kingston, leaving by a bus from Holy Cross Santa Cruz Episcopal Church, 30 Pine Grove Ave. “We’re thrilled to welcome new people who’ve never been here, just to experience an afternoon,” Merenda said. “Everyone is welcome.”
Merenda said the center is always looking for those wanting to contribute or volunteer.
To reserve transportation, visit https://bit.ly/3wropb7. For more information about the event and the Ashokan Center, visit ashokancenter.org.
