State fair will offer some Hispanic flavor

Fair officials announce a "village" with authentic food, goods and entertainment.

By KEVIN GRAHAM, Times Staff Writer
Published November 30, 2007

TAMPA -At the Florida State Fair next year, empanadas and arroz con dulce will tempt taste buds alongside chili cheese dogs and funnel cake.

Fair officials have announced a new "La Plaza Hispanic Village" that will offer authentic Latin food, entertainment and goods from Hispanic countries around the world.

"I think it's a long time in coming," said Rene Gonzalez, founder of the Spanish Lyric Theatre. He consulted with the Florida State Fair Authority about the idea.

Denise Shreaves, a fair spokeswoman, said organizers are trying for another first by marketing directly to the Hispanic community through Spanish language advertisements. Marketing will take on a more grass roots effort, she said, by placing materials about the fair in bodegas and Spanish clubs.

"We want to have this grow into an international area, like a miniature Epcot, where we can represent multicultural backgrounds and communities," Shreaves said.

Showcasing the Hispanic culture seemed a natural place to begin, Shreaves said, because a strong Hispanic influence exists in the area and across the state.

About 19.5 percent of Florida's population is of Hispanic or Latino origin, according to the Census Bureau.

"Florida is not only Cracker country. It's also a lot of Latin villages," said La Gaceta publisher Patrick Manteiga. "The biggest cities in our state have heavy Latin influence. Miami is the capital of Latin America."

Kevin Graham can be reached at kgraham@sptimes.com or 813 226-3433.

Fast facts

Hispanic flavor

The Florida State Fair runs Feb. 7-18. Applications for food vendors and exhibitors to participate in the inaugural La Plaza Hispanic Village are due by Dec. 3. To obtain an application or for more information, call Denise Shreaves at 813-627-4314 or e-mail shreavd@doacs.state.fl.us

The fair also is looking for Hispanic entertainers, musicians, dancers and local community groups to perform at La Plaza Hispanic Village. Interested parties can send a performance video or music CD with contact information to the Florida State Fair, Attention: Denise Shreaves, P.O. Box 11766, Tampa, FL 33680. No deadline for entertainer submissions has been set. Call or e-mail Shreaves for more details.

[Last modified November 30, 2007, 00:17:50]