Casselberry gears up to host Latin Jazz Festival

By Melissa Catalanotto | September 18, 2013

National Hispanic Heritage Month is underway and the city of Casselberry is throwing a party the whole family can enjoy.

The Latin Jazz Festival will be held Sept. 28 from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Lake Concord Park and is free to the public.

Guests can bring lawn chairs, coolers and well-behaved pets, and are asked not to bring tents or umbrellas to avoid obstructing others' views.

There will be a live performance from Hispanic jazz musician Ed Calle, a saxophonist, and a performance by Lao Tizer's band, Tizer, featuring Grammy-nominated guitarist Chieli Minucci.

Artwork by local artist Marcos Cruz, featured by Jai Gallery of Orlando, will also be showcased.

There are plenty of activities for kids, too. A children's group will perform while wearing costumes of their native countries, and there will also be booths where children can make tissue paper flowers and maracas.

"There's never going to be any down time, there's always going be an activity taking place," said Linda Moore, recreation manager of the city of Casselberry.

The city started out with jazz festivals in 1999 that featured Latin jazz music. People were receptive to it, Moore said, and the Latin Jazz Festival became its own event in 2003.

"As time went by it became an event in itself," she said.

There is now a jazz festival in the spring and a separate Latin Jazz Festival in the fall.

Past performers include Nestor Torres, Arturo Sandoval and Jessy J.

As the festival date gets closer, Calle is expected to bring his unique style to the audience.

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