With ‘most authentic’ cuisine and culture, first Viva Nampa fest is a smash
Packed with people holding agua frescas, empanadas, churros and pupusas, downtown Nampa was a lively scene Friday evening as the city held its inaugural Viva Nampa Festival to celebrate Hispanic and Latino culture in the Treasure Valley.
Nancy Flores said she came to the festival to enjoy a michelada — beer, lime juice, however much spice you want — listen to music, be outside and spend time with her 10-year-old son.
“This is, being 100% Mexican born in Mexico, this here is the most authentic you are going to see,” Flores said.
The festival, which ran from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the city’s Lloyd Square Park, brought together 56 artisan and food vendors. Throughout the evening a DJ played music, and at 8 p.m., tlecoatl danza azteca, a Nampa-based traditional Hispanic dance group, performed.
By the end of the night, the event saw about 3,000 attendees, organizers said.
About 25% of Nampa’s population identifies as Latino or Hispanic, according to the city, making it an ideal place for such a celebration in Idaho. Canyon County has by far the largest Hispanic/Latino population, at around 50,000 people.
With Nampa having such a rich Latino culture, Oscar Diaz — event coordinator for the Downtown Nampa Association — said he had been hoping to put on this event for years.
“It came from just wanting to have more representation in the things we do with the Downtown Nampa Association, to truthfully and fully represent any community member that lives and calls this place home, because It Is a variety of people that live here,” Diaz said. “We are really driven by that.”
Diaz said that given the success of Friday evening’s event, it should return year after year.
Latinos unite through food
Ninfa Avalos owns Nina’s Empanadas, one of the vendors at the festival. She makes her own style of empanadas, putting tamale inside them. She also has a gluten-free option, in a sign of the times.
This is Avalos’ third year running Nina’s Empanadas, and she said she was thrilled to be part of a festival where people can come together over food.
“That’s one of those things that unites us,” Avalos said. “Most of our memories are made with food, either some kind of dish reminds you of home or reminds you of your grandma’s or your sister’s cooking, or whoever in your family is a cook.”
It wasn’t just locals doing that Friday evening. Andrew Falcon said he saw a post about the festival on Instagram and decided to drive from Mountain Home with his two children.
Falcon, who is Hispanic, said he doesn’t find many event like this to check out. He and his children stopped at the El Vaso Loco stand for two agua frescas topped with watermelon and pineapple, and covered in chamoy sauce and Tajin.
Carlos Siguenza said “it was a dream come true” to start his family-run food truck Area 503 last month. He brings the El Salvadorian classic pupusas, along with Nicaraguan favorites, to the Treasure Valley.
“I want them to know the real pupusas. So far, all of the comments, the feedback, has been really great,” Siguenza said.
Siguenza said pupusas are made from corn flour and filled with pork, beans and cheese.
“That is something we eat in our country for breakfast, lunch and dinner. You’ll see pupusas in every corner of the city,” he said.
Bringing L.A.-style night markets to Idaho
The festival was a collaboration with the 208 Night Market in Nampa, a weekly market derived from the traditional Los Angeles Hispanic Night Markets. The 208 market is in its second year of operation and takes place each week at the Idaho Hispanic Community Center.
Aileen Arredondo, co-organizer and co-founder of the 208 Night Market, said he wanted it started so the community could come together around the culture they love and share it with others.
“We decided we wanted to bring those markets to Idaho,” Arredondo said. “You know, we don’t have many places where our community can gather, and I thought it was really important to find a place for people to find identity, find vendors that are similar to them, and most importantly share that with the people who surround us.”
The 208 Night Market brought in 13 vendors in its first year and has 40 setting up shop this year.
