By: Colby Kluthe
September 13, 2010 (ST. LOUIS)
This past weekend, St. Louis celebrated our regions diversity with the annual Hispanic Festival held at Soldier's Memorial along Market Street near Tucker Ave in downtown Saint Louis.
This regional festival featured musical performances, and a wide variety of activities for people of all backgrounds. St. Louisans, and Metro-East residents gathered for a weekend long celebration, that highlighted the cultures of South American nations, as well as our own local flavor of talents. 
Among the festival were numberous displays including a petting zoo, and auto-display which demonstrated the creativity of our community, and the contributions people are making throughout both Missouri and Illinois. Metro East Pride celebrates this diverse culture and are proud our region celebrates the unique talents of all of our residents.
For those who have not yet experienced the flavors of HispanicFest, we are fortunate to have a vibrant community that can be celebrated throughout the year. Among the first stops, would be our own "Urban Mayberry" also known as the Cherokee Street Business District, located near Jefferson Ave and Cherokee. This neighborhood offers an eclectic variety of art galleries, shops, and resturaunts that can match any pallet.
You could easily make an afternoon of browsing the neighborhood, which is filled with everything from a Piano Manufacturing company, to an international marketplace where visitors can find something unique, and not found anywhere else in our region. It is our firm belief that the influx of immigrants from other regions, has long-since provided our entire region with the vibrancy we sometimes take for granted.
Photos Courtesy of: Hispanic Festival, Inc. St. Louis, MO