BOISE, Idaho — A new Pride festival celebrating LatinX culture and identity is happening at Cecil D. Andrus Park in Boise this weekend. The event focuses on inclusivity and uplifting the voices of the LatinX community.
Jahziel Maldonado, head of programming for LatinX Pride, says the festival is about visibility and celebration.
"Right now it's important to show this is who we are, this is what we do," Maldonado said.
The festival marks Boise's first Latino-centered Pride event, with a theme of "Diaspora" that showcases cultures and traditions across Latin America.
"It's more important now than ever to have the visibility and celebrate our culture, who we are and where we're coming from," Maldonado said.
LatinX Pride kicks off with a community brunch, followed by an Aztec ceremony, a cumbia fitness class, yoga session, and various performances.
"We have Dance Danza Boricua, that is our first and only Puerto Rican dance group here, and then we will have drag entertainers that will be performing as well," Maldonado said.
Boise Mayor Lauren McClean will attend the event, just weeks after the City Council made the Pride flag one of Boise's official flags.
"Having that validation and that visibility is super important and have a little bit of relief of like 'hey, we're seen, we are safe here,' so it's an honor to have her providing that space to us," Maldonado said.
Maldonado will also perform at the event as drag persona Coco Freeo, embracing their Puerto Rican heritage.
"I pride myself on bringing a little bit of that flavor from my island here and educating about what my culture is and who we are, and you will see that a lot this Saturday," Maldonado said.
The free event starts at 10 a.m. on Saturday and will feature vendors, food trucks, and community activities. Everyone is invited to attend.
This story was reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
