Latino Heritage Month Columbus: Parade fills Downtown streets
Part of Latino Heritage Month, a Downtown parade and festival included towering balloon floats, blaring Mariachi music and hundreds of people lining streets.
- Columbus celebrated Latino Heritage Month with a Downtown parade and festival.
- Attendees and participants celebrated diverse cultures from countries including Mexico, El Salvador and Argentina.
- Some attendees expressed fear and uncertainty surrounding federal immigration policies.
- City officials and participants emphasized the importance of unity and celebrating diversity.
Uniformed Columbus police officers draped themselves in flags from their native countries: Mexico, El Salvador, Argentina. One officer busted out salsa moves with another.
Part of Latino Heritage Month, a Downtown parade and festival included towering balloon floats, blaring Mariachi music and hundreds of people lining streets.
Blaine and Emily Flaherty drove from Grove City with their daughters, ages 4 and 2. They brought bikes and a Burley trailer to navigate the parade route, about five city blocks, ending near Columbus City Hall.
“We value immigrants and we love this culture,” Emily Flaherty said.
“Exposing them to a community and a culture that’s not ours is super important,” Blaine Flaherty said. “Building well-rounded people.”
Each of their kids were given small, wrapped cookies, called alfajores de dulce, from Argentina.
“Every year the event expands more and more,” said Erik Barbon, noting that three FIFA World Cup wins (1978, 1986 and 2022) have boosted pride and Argentinian attendance. “We’re very proud of that and our heritage.”
Cindy Dominguez and J.J. Smith moved to Columbus from Laredo, Texas, a year ago. They, along with their 1-year-old son, Hasty, were among the parade watchers.
“I am Mexican, and my child is Mexican, and this is bringing us a piece of home and a chance to share our heritage with our son,” Dominguez said as the parade turned onto South Broad Street amid chants of “Aqui estamos. No los vamos” and “No hate. No fear. Refugees are welcome here.”
The undercurrent of the event has been fear and uncertainty surround Immigration and Customs Enforcement mobilizations across the country. While most parade entries celebrated culture, at least one, the Party for Socialism and Liberation, held a banner “Ice out of Columbus now!” with about a dozen followers carrying signs opposing ICE raids and deportations.
Maqueli Eldredge, who works at a law firm representing immigrants, estimated that the 2024 event was much larger and might have included up to 70% undocumented attendees.
“This year, it will be more like 10%; people are not going. They were even thinking about cancelling it,” Eldredge said. “People are afraid. They just work and go home.”
“We know that people don’t feel safe because of our federal government. So we are excited to have the opportunity to celebrate regardless, and hopefully people feel safe to come down,” said Columbus City Council member Emmanuel Remy, who chairs the city’s safety committee. “What we want to do is to celebrate the diversity here in Columbus.
“We want to make sure we’re supporting all people, from wherever they come in the world.”
Simon Ponce, driving a decked-out car representing El Salvador said, “In this country that’s currently in divide, it’s a chance to come together and show that there’s so much more than politics.”
The event was set to conclude at 4 p.m., part of Latino Heritage Month, with food vendors, live music and other activities along Marconi Boulevard.
(This story was updated to add a video.)
Growth and development reporter Dean Narciso can be reached at dnarciso@dispatch.com.