Lakewood United Latinos Festival will join forces with the City of Lakewood this year for a celebration of the city’s 10th birthday at Fort Steilacoom Park beginning at noon on Saturday, June 24. Former Seattle Mariner Edgar Martinez and Seattle Sounder Maykel Galindo will make special appearances at the event.
It’s the first time many similarly timed special events will come together for a combined celebration.

The United Latinos Festival will feature two entertainment stages with performances by Mariachi “Ayutla,” Bailadores de Bronce, El Charro Mariachi, Mexican-American Association of Baile, Folklorico, Mariachi Colima, Seattle Sounders and Re-Encventro Cultural Juvenil. Martinez will be on hand from noon until 2 p.m. and Galindo from 3 to 4:30 p.m. for autographs.

Other events and activities include the LeMay Car Show, Partners for Parks Car Show, Comcast Kidz Zone, Pierce County Safety Fair, food and art vendors and more. Beginning at dusk, the Comcast Outdoor Theatre will present the movie, “Dreamer.”

This is the fourth year that the Lakewood Latino community — the largest Latino community in the State of Washington — has sponsored its festival, which has grown from 150 people in the first year to more than 1,800 last year.

“Because of the excellent collaboration between the Lakewood Police Department, Latino leaders and Safe Streets, this has become an important community-building event,” said event organizer Darlene Pico_n, a Safe Streets Campaign Community Mobilization Specialist.

Sponsors of the Latinos United event include the Safe Streets Campaign, Centro Latino, Harborstone Credit Union, Drug Enforcement Agency, State Farm, Washington State Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Lakewood Police Department and Radio Sol, 93.4 FM.

All events are free. For more information, call Helen Gonzales, Safe Streets Volunteer Coordinator for the Lakewood United Latino Festival at (253) 312-4403. You also can email lakewoodunitedlatinos@hotmail.com or visit http://www.laluna.homestead.com .

Safe Streets is the first private, non-profit organization that unites neighbors against crime — a model for other programs nationwide. Serving Tacoma and Pierce County since 1989, Safe Streets equal a safe community. Both private and public dollars support Safe Street’s community efforts. Learn more at http://www.safestreetscampaign.org.