“It’s very important for us to share our cultures” | HOLA festival returns

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) -The HOLA festival returns for a 23rd straight year in Knoxville to celebrate different Latin American heritages. The festival is the official start of Hispanic Heritage Month which runs from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15.

“It’s very important for us to share our cultures because we all have the same thing in common with our cultures,” said HOLA President Pedro Tomas. “Dance, we have food and music and we share all of that and it enriches us.”

The HOLA festival brings all kinds of different Latin American cultures into one place where everybody can celebrate together.

“It’s really a good feeling, it’s very satisfying. It renews hope you know about people being together. I think we need more of that now,” said Angela Musini, a longtime member of the HOLA Festival. “Just people coming together and being together and celebrated. And breaking bread together so to speak.”

Masini’s family has owned a coffee bean farm for the last five generations and each year, Angela brings her family’s coffee to Knoxville for guests to experience true Puerto Rican coffee.

“When I thought, you know this is Puerto Rican coffee and people don’t even know we have coffee in Puerto Rico and we grow coffee. I said what better opportunity to introduce Knoxville to Puerto Rican coffee than the HOLA Festival,” said Masini.

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