Hundreds came to indulge in the best African and Latino culture the City of Lynnwood has to offer. The bright day was a great complement for food trucks serving cool ice cream and agua frescas. Those looking for a more substantial meal had no shortage of options: Guatemalan, Salvadorian and Peruvian food were just some of the global cuisines on the menu.

Before (or after) attendees chowed down, they were also given the chance to attend free salsa classes, watch traditional dance routines and listen to live music from Chile, Costa Rice, Colombia and Panama.

During opening comments, Afrolatino Festival CEO Karina Gasperin thanked former Lynnwood Mayor Nicola Smith for allowing the Latino community to start sharing their culture at the annual festival. Prior to Smith’s support, Gasperin recalled, organizers had been brushed off or ignored in their attempts to host an event. Lynnwood’s current mayor, Christine Frizzell spoke about the contrast between Lynnwood’s past and present. Frizzell said she’d had a single Afrolatino student in her graduating high school class in 1976 but now, Lynnwood was the most diverse city in all of Snohomish County — a great boon for the overall community.

–Photos and story by Jasmine Contreras-Lewis