GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — It will be a big fiesta this weekend for the Hispanic Festival in Grand Rapids. This has been a tradition here for 45 years.

There will be 10 food vendors at Calder Plaza downtown serving various tasty dishes from Venezuelan, Peruvian, Guatemalan, Mexican, Caribbean, and more. One vendor is coming from Orlando.

Festival chair Cesar Gonzalez said organizers spent more money on entertainment this year. Fourteen musical performers from across the country and Mexico are part of this year’s entertainment lineup. The first group will take the stage at 6 p.m. Friday, when the festival starts.

Also, if you’ve never watched kids play futsal, you can do that Saturday and Sunday. About 300 youth will show off their skills on Ottawa Avenue for a tournament.

The festival chair says he’d love to see the community come out and learn more about the different cultures in the Hispanic community.

“This weekend is about showing up, understanding our culture, learning about it and interacting and getting out of your comfort zone,” Gonzalez said.

Aside from live music and authentic food, there will be an artisan market. Kids will get to put up their own goods for sale. Another new addition is vendors selling just sweet treats.

The Hispanic Center of Western Michigan will receive the proceeds from the festival, which is no different from years past.

The money goes toward the programs and services the center provides. Staff have been looking into doing more for the Latino community this year. If you come, they may ask you to complete a short survey. The survey will ask questions about the current financial needs of the Latino community. They want to understand what programs and services are most needed, especially for small business and home ownership. Staff also want to get information about lending and financing needs.

“We’re trying to survey the entire Kent County Latino community to get a better understanding of that. So we’re asking people to come down that are Latino to participate in the survey,” Gonzalez said.

You can fill out the survey at the festival or at this link. The festival will last from Friday to Sunday.