Think you’ve seen the last of the Tall Ships this festival season?
Think again.
The CGC Gloria, Cartagena, Colombia’s own Tall Ship, will be making its way to the Foss Waterway for four days in conjunction with the annual Festival Latino Aug. 2-5.
Festival Latino, which is in its sixth year, has historically been held in Lakewood. It’s making the move to Tacoma this year to honor Colombian culture with the arrival of the Gloria.
Festival Latino will be open to all the weekend of Aug. 2 and 3.
It will feature authentic Central and South American foods, arts, and music, with everything from the Mexican Mariachis to Brazilian Sambas.
In all, 17 live bands will perform throughout the weekend, with well-known Colombian musical group Sabor A Café headlining that event.
Event organizer Marvin Gaviria said the festival has always been very well received by the local Latino community. This year, they are expecting anywhere from 15,000 to 20,000 people in attendance, representing a wide range of South American cultures and communities from around the Puget Sound.
This year, because of the arrival of the Gloria, the festival will have a little more of a Colombian twist.
Along with Sabor A Café and the offering of Colombian foods, the festival will also be selling Colombian coffee to benefit the Colombian and international programs at the YMCA.
Non-profit group Colombia Viva will also be collecting donations of clothing and blankets for victims of recent floods in Central Columbia.
And of course, there’s the Colombian naval ship as a reminder of the culture sitting dockside.
“Uniting Festival Latino and Gloria Colombiana is also about celebrating the importance of connecting to our histories and sharing Latino culture with our communities,” said event organizer Sara Santos.
It is also the first time the Tall Ship has ventured to the West Coast, which should draw even more people to the festival.
“The ship is amazing. It’s a beautiful, beautiful ship,” Gaviria said. “It’s a pretty big treat.”
The ship will be available for tours for free Aug. 2-5.
Festival Latino will run Aug. 2-3 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.