Women performing at the HoLa Festival. Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024.
When Pedro Tomas first inherited the mantle of president of HoLa Hora Latina, the HoLa Festival was still taking place in Market Square. Now, the festival has expanded more than he could have imagined.
Alongside being the president of HoLa Hora Latina, Tomas is also a professor of Spanish at UT, where he commutes from his home in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Originally born in Cuba, Tomas aims to help bridge the gap between the Hispanic community and the rest of the Knoxville community.
HoLa Hora Latina began its journey in 1992.
“A group of women just wanted to get together and share their culture,” Tomas said on the origins of the organization.
Since then, it has become the largest grassroots Latino non-profit in East Tennessee. Their mission statement states that they aim to promote unity in the community by combining arts and culture with education and leadership. They are headquartered at Casa HoLa on South Gay Street at the Historical Emporium Building.
Tomas says that one of the biggest contributing factors to the organization’s success is the support of the community.
“If we don’t have a community to support these things, then something’s not working,” Tomas said. “There are many things we have in common with the Knoxville community.”
HoLa Hora Latina recently brought their annual HoLa Festival to World’s Fair Park once again on Sep. 27 and 28. During this two-day affair, members of the Knoxville community were able to experience a wide variety of Hispanic cultures ranging from 21 heritage tables to arts and crafts to food and performances.
The festival is an annual staple in Knoxville and this year marked its 25th anniversary. It is a collective collaboration between sponsors, independent vendors and the Knoxville community.
Amelia Sandoval, a junior at UT studying physics, attends the festival annually.
“HoLa Festival is always one of my favorite parts of fall in Knoxville,” Sandoval wrote in a text. “The music is always incredible and the festival always has such a fun atmosphere. One of my best memories was when it rained a few years ago, and I spent an hour sitting under one of the tents and talking to one of the volunteers. I always leave the festival with a sense of community and a better understanding of Spanish.”
In addition to the HoLa Festival, HoLa Hora Latina hosts various cultural and educational programs throughout Knoxville as well as showcasing Latin art.
For students with great academic records who do community work, they also offer the Luis Velázquez scholarship, named after the first CEO of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of East Tennessee.
The organization offers an opportunity for everyone, regardless of race or national origin, to come together and celebrate Hispanic culture. Tomas hopes events like the HoLa Festival can continue HoLa Hora Latina’s mission of bridging gaps in the Knoxville community.
“We have to learn how to live with each other and the more we know about each other, the more we find our commonalities,” Tomas said. “That’s what’s gonna make us live better with each other. You don’t just see Latinos come out, you see all types of people come out. The Knoxville community is very supportive and I’m extremely grateful for that.”