After last month’s ¡Viva Perry! Latino Festival was postponed, the questions on everyone’s minds were, “Will it be rescheduled, and when?” The answer came Monday afternoon, as Hispanics United for Perry (HUP) announced they had landed on Sunday, September 30th for the new date.

The festival will be a pared-down version of the event originally scheduled for August 25th, and instead of downtown it will be held in the parking lot west of the Performing Arts Center at Perry High School. It will run from noon-6 p.m., and is being held in conjunction with the Hometown Heritage “Becoming American” film series. Following the conclusion of the festival, attendees can step inside the high school to view the film “Welcome to Shelbyville,” which will be shown for free and in English and Spanish.

Many activities will be carried over from the original event, including: food and other vendors; a performance by Perry’s folkloric dance troupe, Los Laureles; the Reina de la Festival, or Queen of the Festival competition; and the annual award for community support. Proceeds from the ¡Viva Perry! Festival will go to HUP, which they will use for scholarships awarded to Perry students. The festival is annually one of the biggest fundraisers for the organization, so it was important that the event was rescheduled.

The festival was originally postponed out of respect for the late University of Iowa student, Mollie Tibbetts. Similar events in Iowa City and Des Moines were also cancelled or postponed in the wake of Tibbetts’ death. Perry residents held a Unity Rally on August 25th in place of the festival, in order to show support for the City’s substantial Hispanic population. HUP is hopeful that with the event rescheduled, it will serve as a vibrant street festival and opportunity to showcase hometown pride.