OJAI : School to Celebrate Latino Cultures

Youths from preschool to high school will celebrate the different cultures of Central and South American during a daylong festival called Dia Hispano-Americano on Saturday at Oak Grove School in Ojai.

Organizers hope the event will raise consciousness about Spanish language and culture among the private school’s 180 students and the Ojai community.

The festival will offer food booths, activities such as demonstrations of Mexican weaving and Argentinian tango dancing, a Spanish-language book fair and live musical performances.

“It’s the first time we’ve done this,” said Holly Mitchem, publicist for the festival and a parent of two Oak Grove students.

“Every class picked a country, and they’ve been cooking and doing crafts so that it becomes more of a hands-on experience rather than sitting in class and learning words.”

To kick off Dia Hispano-Americano, the Ojai Playhouse will present a free screening of the Academy Award-nominated film “El Norte” at 3:30 p.m. Thursday.

Highlights of Saturday’s festival will include a demonstration of Argentinian tango by local dancers Lana Flora and Charles Raabe at 12:30 p.m. and a performance of Peruvian music from 2 to 3 p.m.

The concert will cost $3, but all other events are free and open to the public. Oak Grove School is at 220 W. Lomita Ave. in Meiners Oaks. For more information, call 646-8236.