NEW IBERIA, La. --- On Saturday, April 27, New Iberia will celebrate the 7th annual El Festival Español de Nueva Iberia.
The focus and mission of the festival is to celebrate the 1779 founding of New Iberia by 16 Spanish families from Malaga, Spain. The event helps create an educational and cultural awareness and exchange of food, music, art and history between New Iberia and the Andalusia region of Spain, while recognizing the contributions of the original Spanish settlers to Iberia Parish's culture.
The festival will provide many activities such as Running of the Bulls 5K Race, arts and crafts, a "Paella, Tapas, Jambalaya and Spanish Desserts Competition," genealogy display, a parade, lots and lots of different cultural music and a children’s tent filled with activities to celebrate this fun, family oriented day.
The host agencies are La Asociación Española de Nueva Iberia and the City of New Iberia. Major supporting organizations include The Daily Iberian, Segura Farms, Bayou Teche Museum, Iberia Performing Arts League, New Iberia Main Street Program, Cuidad de Alhaurin de la Torre and the Iberia Parish Convention & Visitors Bureau, as well as numerous local friends and supporters. This year they are also partnering with Cycle Zydeco as many cyclers will be in town on festival day.
"La Asociación’s Festival Planning Committee has been working diligently in preparation for this special festival as this year we celebrate the 240th anniversary of the founding of Nueva Iberia, said Festival Chairman Ebrar Reaux.
"The committee selected
Spain Alive – Happy Birthday New Iberia as this year’s festival theme to help create an awareness that the Spanish culture and heritage of our great city is very much alive in 2019 along with the many other cultures that make New Iberia the great city it is today."
The guest lecturer will be Jose Manuel deMolina, friend, author and researcher from Malaga, Spain, who will attend the festival and serve as the Grand Marshal of the Festival Walking Parade. The association would like to invite everyone (no Spanish ancestry needed) to join in for this rich, cultural celebration on the banks of the Bayou Teche.
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