Some 10,000 East Tennesseans celebrated at the Hola Festival on Saturday. The day-long event provided a celebration of diversity of cultures in the East Tennessee community. Market Square was alive with Salsa and Merengue music, the popular sounds of the Mariachi and music of the Andes. The Andes music from Vientos del Pueblo was made possible by a grant from the Southern Arts Federation, partnering with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Tennessee Arts Commission. In addition, there were a number of cultural dancing styles demonstrated, including Tango, Salsa, Mexican Folkloric dances, Flamenco and Capoeira, a Brazilian martial arts. Festivalgoers were able to sample foods from Colombia, Guatemala, Argentina, Venezuela, Mexico, Bolivia, Honduras and El Salvador.
