Sea Mar Fiestas Patrias

OVERVIEW

Seattle Center Festál presents Sea Mar Fiestas Patrias in partnership with Sea Mar Community Health Centers.

Sea Mar Fiestas Patrias commemorates the independence of Latin American countries, many of which celebrate their national independence day in the month of September. It is a festival to celebrate history, while taking pride in the new generations of Latinos who now call the United States home.

Throughout the two-day event at Seattle Center, attendees can enjoy delicious traditional Latin American food and cooking demonstrations, live music, traditional folk dance performances, art exhibitions representing Latino culture, free health screenings, children’s activities and more.

HISTORY

Information provided by Sea Mar Community Health Centers

Sea Mar began hosting Sea Mar Fiestas Patrias over twenty years ago in the South Park neighborhood of Seattle. Sea Mar extended the celebration to Seattle Center when they joined Festál in 2010. Since then, the festival has been put on every year during one weekend in mid-September. On Saturday, Sea Mar hosts a parade and community festival in South Park, which has become a great tradition that many families look forward to year after year. On Saturday and Sunday, Sea Mar hosts a large festival at Seattle Center with a variety of fun activities for everyone of all ages to enjoy in celebration of Latino culture.

The festival is an important celebration for Sea Mar because its organization was founded by a group of Latino community leaders in 1978. This group sought to address the healthcare needs in western Washington, specifically among the Spanish-speaking communities. Sea Mar understands the barriers Latinos and other immigrant communities may face when navigating the healthcare system, pursuing a higher education, or simply trying to make a living. For this reason, Sea Mar goes beyond primary care and has established additional programs, services, and events like Sea Mar Fiestas Patrias to celebrate Latino cultural traditions.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Spanish is the second most spoken language (by native speakers) in the world.
• The United States has the second largest Spanish-speaking population in the world after Mexico.
• Latinos represent the largest minority in Washington state with more than 11% of the total population.
• Sea Mar Community Health Centers has grown to be one of the largest community health centers in the country, with over 100 locations across western Washington providing medical, dental, behavioral health, housing, educational and cultural services.