Closing out Black History Month, the Afro-Latinx Festival is back at the Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA) on Feb. 26 in Long Beach.
The event will run from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. with festivities all day including performers, workshops, guest speakers, DJs, food and vendors. Many are local to Long Beach and Afro-Latinx.
“This is about sharing who we are and what the community is about,” Vice President of Museum Content & Programming at MOLAA Solimar Salas said.
The museum will also feature 10 works of art to represent the talent, traditions and vibrancy of the Long Beach Afro-Latinx community. The art will be displayed in MOLAA’s Viva Event Center from Feb. 25 through March 3, 2023.
“I’m very excited that MOLAA was able to present this again to the public,” Salas said. “It’s something that we would love for the students to enjoy that day and just take advantage of what we can offer.”
Guest speakers include Jose Angel Castro, artist and founder of NowHouse Education. He will also have a kinetic painting demo performance and workshop. The kinetic painting workshop will have a limited capacity and sign-up on-sight.
“I think of museums as a place of enjoyment but also learning,” Salas said. “And you can have fun while you learn.”
Some food vendors include Cafablanca, a local coffee vendor that is 100% donation based and gives back to the community. Cobbler Mania is an Afro-Cuban-owned vegan and diabetic-friendly baked goods vendor. The Quesadilla Calling is a fusion-style quesadilla vendor local to Long Beach.
Other vendors include African Chop, Sweedith Bakes, Juice & Merch, Voodoo Vegan, Joy on a stick and Mama’s International Tamales.
“I hope for empathy, I hope for understanding, I hope people learn a little bit more, discover information that maybe they didn’t have before,” Salas said.
More information about festivities including speakers and workshops will be on MOLAA’s website.
The MOLAA is located at 628 Alamitos Ave, Long Beach, CA 90802. The event is free but parking at MOLAA is $15. Reservations are not required and walk-ins are welcome. More updates and information about the event will be on the MOLAA website.