Thousands of fans turned out on the first day of the Sueños Music Festival in Grant Park for an event that celebrated Latin fashion and culture.
The festival, in its fourth year, is being held in Grant Park this weekend.
Christian Valois and Kenzie Avila, both from Chicago, said they came to the festival for the culture, which was what led them to attend last year.
“We are so invested in Latin culture and we just like coming out,” Valois said.
Alessandra Gonzalez, also from Chicago, was waiting for her siblings to attend the festival, one of the largest Latin music festivals in the United States.
The artist she was looking forward to the most was Shakira.
“I love her so I’m really excited for her,” Gonzalez said.
Shakira is a well-known Latin pop artist who is set to headline the festival for the first time. She is currently performing at various venues around the world as part of her “Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran” world tour.
Three stages were at the festival with differing acts. Headliners Shakira, Peso Pluma and Arcangel performed on the main stage. DJ’s Chan, Caleb Calloway and Gordo were at “La Fuente Stage.” Local artists Vanguardia and Vagos De HP performed at “La Plaza.”
Even with cooler than average temperatures for May in Chicago, the festival was crowded with music fans, and many attendees wore their best outfits for the festival.
Julio Del Real, who is originally from Michigan, came to the festival to see Peso Pluma perform.
He dressed up in a red cape and blue luchador mask of the character Nacho Libre, originally from the 2006 Jack Black film “Nacho Libre”
“I thought it’d be funny. Not much really more to it,” Del Real said in regards to his outfit choice.
Cristobal Horta, another attendee, came dressed up in cowboy attire.
“I kind of wanted to be inspired by my roots,” said Horta. His family typically wears that style of clothing so he wanted to continue the tradition.
Adriana Ramos wore the flag of Puerto Rico, where she is from.
“I just want to have a good time and enjoy music,” Ramos said.
A “buy now, pay later,” option was offered for purchasing tickets. The transaction was done through the payment service Zip and allowed users to pay off costs through payment plans.
For some, this came as a viable option as the price of general admission tickets has been costly.
General admission tickets for one day started at $199.
“The flexible payments help a lot, especially when you’re unsure about the lineup,” said Valois.
At the corner of Balbo and Columbus Drives, Ballet Folklórico de Chicago performed.
Surrounding the area were rows of stands ranging from food to informational services such as a charging station.
Featuring performers in traditional Mexican clothing, Ballet Folklórico de Chicago danced to a repertoire of traditional music.
Ofelia Guerra, founder and executive director of the group, said they performed in previous years, though this time they received the opportunity to also perform at the intersection of Ida B. Wells and Columbus Drive.
She also said that Sueños is like “Latino Lollapalooza.”
“They don’t cater to just one ethnicity…every year it’s more and more diverse,” said Guerra.
Many different outfits along with many flags and decorations were on display around the festival.
“For everybody to come together right now is dope, considering this current administration’s pressures on our community,” Del Real said.
The engagement of the crowds whether it was through dancing with one another, singing along or cheering signified the importance of Sueños.
“This music festival brings us all together and we just come as a community,” Gonzalez said.
Copy edited by Manuel Nocera
