Last night, the City of Madison Common Council proclaimed July 20th as “Colombian Day” in Madison.
(Photo by Enis Ragland)
“It will be a great opportunity for the Colombian community to be able to show that we are part of this beautiful city and to show the happiness that Colombians bring,” said Alejandro Riaño, president of Colombianos en Wisconsin Inc.
According to Pew Research Center, it is estimated that 1.1 million Colombians lived in the United States in 2013. Colombians are in seventh place in the countries of origin of the Hispanic population in the United States. In Wisconsin, it is estimated that there are 3,012 Colombians, with Milwaukee and Madison being the main cities where they live.
The main event of Colombianos en Wisconsin will be its upcoming Happy People Fest (Festival de la Gente Feliz) to celebrate Colombian independence from Spain. This will be held Sunday, July 31, at Fireman’s Park in Middleton.
At the event, Colombians and people from many different backgrounds will celebrate Colombian Independence Day with music, dancing, food, and three of the best local Latino bands: Grupo Candela, Edy Rey y su Salsera and a new band called Son del Atlantico.
The menu for the festival will have all kinds of traditional food from Colombia:: lechona, papas rellenas, empenadas, chicharron, chorizo, arepas, obleas, tamales, refajo, and carne asada.
