Expo surpasses expectations

Despite its name, the Hablamos Espanol Expo isn't for people who speak only Spanish.

That was the message the Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce hoped to get across in promoting the fourth annual expo, held Saturday at The Centre of Elgin.

This was first year the expo was marketed as a bilingual showcase.

"It started out as a way for our businesses to market to Spanish (speakers), but I have found over the past four years that our Hispanic population is more bilingual," said Jeanette Mihalec, the chamber's vice president of membership.

The shift in focus may have paid off. Saturday saw the expo's highest turnout since its inception.

"Our goal was 2,000," Mihalec said, with one hour left to go. "We already surpassed that."

Saturday's expo also was the largest yet, with 52 vendors and an art show featuring local Hispanic artists.

Miguel Arroyo of Carol Stream displayed his expressionistic photographs, many of them depicting Puerto Rican culture and San Juan.

"This is a way for me to (encourage) Puerto Ricans here to see part of their culture in a whole different light," Arroyo said.

A younger group of artists also got to display their work at the expo for the first time Saturday -- art students at Elgin's Channing Elementary School.

The student art display included African face vessels, oil pastel drawings inspired by Marc Chagall and intricate dragons made from construction paper to mark the Chinese New Year.

"The benefits are the kids and the families of Channing get to see their artwork on display," said Rebecca Evans, the art teacher at Channing. "I would definitely do it again next year."

After a year at Kimball Middle School, the Hablamos Espanol Expo returned Saturday to The Centre of Elgin, which hosted the event for its first two years.

"It's great being back in The Centre," Mihalec said.