LATINAFest will be a celebration of all things Latina

For its sixth annual outdoor event, LATINAFest brings together the most powerful and influential Latinas for an all day event of vendors, food, and activities.

The festival is co-founded by Bel Hernandez Castillo and Naibe Reynoso, who say they are committed to empowering and uplifting the Latina community. They state their mission is to promote diversity, inclusivity and to amplify the Latina voice. 

Bel Hernandez Castillo is the founder and CEO of Latin Heat Media, a multi-media company that includes a news and entertainment website; TheTRENDTalk TV show, which currently airs on the local L.A. MeTV station, Facebook Watch, IGTV and YouTube. Castillo is also known as “The Godmother of Latino Hollywood,” a term coined by Moviemaker Magazine for her work in helping expand the presence of Latino filmmakers in the 90s, which she continues to this date.

Naibe Reynoso is a Mexican-American multi-Emmy award-winning journalist. She is also a speaker, author and co-founder of the events company Latinafest LLC, which has produced over a dozen successful events in the Los Angeles area. Currently, she is an anchor and reporter for LA County Channel and producer and host for their Emmy nominated show, El Condado

Contigo. Reynoso’s bilingual abilities have allowed her to apply her skills to a wide variety of media opportunities, including investigative reporting, hosting, entertainment reporting, radio and TV production.

The outdoor festival will be brought to the Latina community on March 24, and it celebrates Latina unity, and brings together women who are bilingual, bicultural, and multi-generational, armed with purchasing power and decision-making skills. Castillo said that the creation of LATINAFest started when she and Reynoso visited La Plaza de Culturas y Artes. “We saw that there was somebody doing a podcast on stage and having a festival. So, we said to ourselves that we needed to reach our audience, which are Latinas, so we said, ‘Why not do the festival here?’,” she said.

The festival is aimed at Latinas who are married, single and of all ages. Castillo believes that it’s important to have these types of events. “We as Latinas have found our power and have found the confidence to know who we are, to know that we matter, to know that we can accomplish whatever we put our minds to.”

For Castillo, the heart of the creation of the festival was the desire to have a platform that creates more platforms for Latina voices to be amplified and embraced. “LATINAFest is basically that. It celebrates all things Latinas, and it gives platforms to Latina authors, Latina speakers, Latina businesses,” she said. “That was the main reason why we started. We really wanted to give these businesses an opportunity to show their products, but also other Latinas that are doing amazing things.”

Castillo told CALÓ News that these events are crucial to her because, growing up, she didn’t have the role models she needed. “It’s important to represent those role models for the young generations that come up. And that’s what happens at LATINAFest is that everyone meets, and the vibe is just very positive,” she said. 

Reynoso said that the reason why every festival they have hosted has been a success is because there is a need for these events. “Here in L.A., we are 40% of the population, and soon we’re probably going to be half of the population, but there’s not a lot of spaces that celebrate us Latinos. LATINAFest is a celebration of multi-generation, as you know, Latino’s love familia. We have love for our grandmas, our kids, our neighbors and friends and hermanas and cousins, but there’s not a lot of spaces where all of these generations can hang out together and spend time together,” she said.

She also told CALÓ News that her favorite festival so far was last year because it rained, but despite the rain, she said that the event was a full house. “That year, Dolores Hurta attended, and she’s one of my icons. She is an activist and an amazing woman, and she really fights for Latino rights. Although it rained, people came out, and everyone was so happy. Nothing will stop us from enjoying a good time, not even the rain,” Reynoso said. 

The festival exhibitors make the festival come alive with their culturally relevant, and beautifully crafted products. Their current sponsors are CHASE, Neutrogena, Telemundo, Magnolia, Empowered with Gina and many more. The event also offers many amazing activities such as LATINAFest fashion show​, kids corner, author reading, limpias, financial talks, massages, sip and paint, dance lessons and many more.

Out of all five festivals from the past, this is the first year that the event has added a panel discussion. LATINAFest is inviting speakers who are changing the world through their "movement platform.” Latinas who have been inspired to go for their dream of entrepreneurship, or creating culturally relevant businesses to serve the community, and also individuals who are breaking barriers in sports, space and entrepreneurship. In the sports world, Latinas have been inspired to train hard and excel in their sport, like Diana Flores, whose commercial ran on Super Bowl Sunday and catapulted her to world acclaim. 

To purchase presale tickets, visit www.latinafest.com.

Date: March 24, 2024

Time: 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Location: LA plaza De Culturas y Artes - 501 North Main Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012