Hablamos Espanol draws 2,000 to The Centre in Elgin

Nohemi Farfan went to the 2012 Hablamos Espanol Expo in Elgin on Saturday to support her cousin — and she said she couldn't believe she had never heard of the event.

“It's my first time here; I didn't know this existed. There is a lot of nice artwork here,” said Farfan, whose cousin, Lee Saldana of Elgin, was among about a dozen artists who showcased their work at the annual event held at The Centre of Elgin.

The expo featured more than 40 businesses and local agencies who showcased their services and was attended by about 2,000 people, most of them Latinos. About a dozen Latino artists had artwork for sale ranging from painting to pottery and computer-assisted drawings.

“Many people don't know this is the longest-running Latino-focused art show in Elgin,” said Jeanette Mihalec, of the Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce, which organizes the event.

Social media was instrumental in ratcheting up this year's attendance, Mihalec said. “A lot of the cultural groups promoted this on Facebook,” she said. “It was really instrumental in getting all these people.”

The entertainment included several folk music and dance performances from area groups, including Streamwood High School and the Puerto Rican Heritage Organization of Elgin.

It was the traditional Bolivian dancing that most riveted 12-year-old twins Jocelyn and Jacqueline Martin of Elgin, who came with their parents and a friend of the family. “That was the best part,” Jocelyn said.

Their mother, Silvia Martin, said community events such as Hablamos Espanol are essential to inform Latinos of services available to them. “Sometimes we don't have enough information, or they don't give it to us,” she said. “It's a really good idea to do this kind of thing.”

The main sponsors of the event were the city of Elgin and Reflejos newspaper, owned by the Daily Herald's parent company, Paddock Publications.