Guatemalan bazaar

A large cultural celebration is making a move across the country from Los Angeles, CA to southeast Queens.
The Guatemalan Cultural Festival and Bazaar, which will take place at York College from Friday, June 27 through Sunday, June 29, will bring more than 70 booths of genuine Guatemalan dishes as well as a full immersion in Guatemalan culture to the area.
In addition to the food, those who attend the event will experience Guatemalan culture on a much grander scale, as they can listen to traditional styles of music, sample Guatemalan art and attend performances put on by folkloric performing artists.
“The goal of the fair is to expose all New Yorkers to Guatemalan culture and hospitality,” said Victor Raul Gramajo, Director of Eventos y Ferias Internacionales, S.A., the festival organizers.
“Business people show their products and demonstrate their services. The mood is authentic Guatemalan but away from home.”
Just as each individual booth will bring its own unique aspect of Guatemalan culture and tradition to the festival, Guatemalan culture on a whole brings that same uniqueness to the melting pot that is Queens.
Last year’s event in Los Angeles attracted nearly 20,000 people.
Queens is one of the most diverse parts of the country with a plethora of different nationalities and people whose roots trace back all around the globe living in the borough.
At the festival, residents of Queens will have the opportunity to learn about customs and traditions entirely different from their own.
Organizers are hoping to attract families and children to the event offering carnival games, rides and arts and crafts for youngsters.
The event will take place on York’s campus in the green space bordered by Guy R. Brewer Boulevard, Liberty Avenue and South Road on Friday from 2 to 8 p.m.; Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.