CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The largest Hispanic Heritage celebration in the Queen City is returning in person this year after being virtual in 2020.

Norsan Media will host the Hola Charlotte Festival Saturday, October 9.

What You Need To Know

  • Hola Charlotte is returning to Uptown Charlotte on Oct. 9

  • There will be food and cultural performances as usual, but tents will be spaced out

  • Nouveau Sud Circus Project is one of the groups doing sporadic performances

“It was important for us to give a chance for the audience, the community, to be able to connect with each other. It's been a difficult year for everybody," Norsan Media’s Chief of Staff & Community Affairs Denise Coleman said.

Like past years, the event will have food and cultural performances representative of Latin American culture.

However, due to the rise of the delta variant, there will be some changes: spacing out tents and replacing the second stage with sporadic performances.

The Nouveau Sud Circus Project, a combination of acrobatics, dance and theater, will be one of the groups doing pop-up shows.

Production Artistic Director Carlos Alexis Cruz, who is from Puerto Rico, created the contemporary circus in 2014.

"[It was created] as an effort to answer the lack of diversity and lack of circus in the city," Cruz said.  

He's thrilled the group will be part of the event and proud of his heritage.

“I’m just happy to have the opportunity and the space,” Cruz said. “I’m proud of [being Latino] and proud of serving my Latinx community.”

Cruz is passionate about this form of art, which also aims to create a dialogue on social issues.

“This is my space where I believe everything is possible. I believe all the divisions that society puts on us, we have solutions to that, but we don’t often do it. Here at Nouveau Sud, we are trying to do it with acrobatics,” Cruz said.

Equity, racial justice and community are at the core of everything he does, including coaching performers.

“It’s a space where we try to erase preconceived ideas about each other that we become one community,” Cruz said.

Cruz is also an associate professor of physical theater and the diversity coordinator of the College of Arts and Architecture at UNC Charlotte.

“I don’t only want to celebrate culture, but I want to empower and celebrate the uniqueness of each culture,” Cruz said.

At Hola Fest, Nouveau Sud is focusing on coping with loss in a joyous way. Traditions in some Latin American countries inspired the theme.

“I think it’s an emotional moment, but also a celebration,” Cruz said.

This will be the first time his crew will perform at this event. Hola Fest will be in uptown Charlotte along Tryon Street from Stonewall to 4th Street.

The event will be from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. It will start with a performance by Rumbao Latin Dance. At the festival, face masks will be encouraged and vaccinations will be available. For more information, click here.