Festival Fever: Albany LatinFest @ Washington Park, 8/24/13

For nearly two decades, Albany’s Washington Park has been the site of the premiere Latino festival in upstate New York. And the Albany Latin Festival is returning to the park once again from 11am-6pm on Saturday, August 24.

The 18th annual family-friendly fest showcases Latino culture with a diverse array of food, crafts, children’s activities and, of course, plenty of high-energy music. And, yes, admission is still free.

Here’s the line-up of performances at the 2013 Albany LatinFest:

11am: MARIACHI TROVADOR DE AMERICA
The Hartford-based multi-cultural mariachi band performs in both English and Spanish.

2pm: ALEX TORRES & HIS LATIN ORCHESTRA
Bronx-born bassist Alex Torres has been at the helm of Nippertown’s premier Latin band since 1980, pumping out such diverse Afro Caribbean rhythms as salsa, merengue, cha-cha, bomba, plena and Latin jazz.

4pm: HECTOR TRICOCHE
One of the Original Salsa Kings, Hector Tricoche is an international musician of Puerto Rican descent who sings in the genre of Latin pop and salsa. With an impressively high and melodic voice, Tricoche has stood out in the sleepy decade of the 1990s salsa scene through his richly textured music.

5pm: RAULIN ROSENDO
A Dominican Republic-born singer transplanted to New York City, salsa star Raulín
Rosendo began his career career as a pre-teen with the merengue group El Chivo y Su Banda, and he later performed with such acts as Fernando Villalona, Conjunto Clásico and Los Vecinos. But it was his 1995 album, “Uno Se Cura,” that established him as a bona fide Latin music superstar.

ADDITIONAL UPCOMING FESTIVALS FOR 2013:
African American Family Day @ the Empire State Plaza, Albany, 8/3/13 (FREE)
The Big Up @ Hemlock Hollow Farm, Clavarack, 8/8-10/13
New York State Food Festival @ the Empire State Plaza, Albany, 8/14/13 (FREE)
The Felice County Fair @ Opus 40, Saugerties, 8/31/13
Restoration Festival @ Contemporary Artists Center at Woodside, Troy, 9/6&7/13
Albany Riverfront Jazz Festival @ Jennings Landing, Albany, 9/7/13 (FREE)
Hispanic Heritage Celebration @ the Empire State Plaza, 9/14/13 (FREE)
FreshGrass Festival @ MASS MoCA, North Adams, 9/20-22/13
Farm Aid @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, 9/21/13 (SOLD OUT)
PearlPalooza @ North Pearl Street, Albany, 9/28/13 (FREE)