Latino Festival to Bring Music, Soccer to Southgate on Saturday

Andrea Swalec October 16, 2014 at 2:10pm

Dancers, musicians and singers are headed to the Southgate Community Center this weekend for the Latino Festival of Reston.

The fifth annual event scheduled from 2 to 6 p.m. on Saturday will include a youth soccer tournament this year for the first time.

The festivities are a chance to honor many Reston residents’ roots, Southgate assistant director Christine Hodgson said.

“Reston is so diverse. This is a chance for us to celebrate the Latino culture, which is strong and rich in this area,” she said.

Nearly 13 percent of Reston residents identify as Hispanic or Latino, according to the 2010 Census.

Bolivian and Peruvians dance groups will perform, several bands will play, a Zumba instructor will be on hand and students learning Spanish at the Herndon Senior Center will lead a singalong.

A soccer tournament for seventh through 12th graders will start at 10:30 a.m. and run until 4 p.m. Members of the winning team will win t-shirts and futsal balls, which are smaller and heavier than an ordinary outdoor soccer balls and bounce less.

The festival and game sponsored by Reston Community Church, Reston Teen Center and the youth soccer school AC Cuigini will take place at the Southgate Community Center at 12125 Pinecrest Rd.