Latins bang Drum for exotic treats

By Shaun Inguanzo
The Drum Theatre and Town Hall were filled with exotic delights as the Latin American Expo swept into Dandenong.
A variety of stalls with cultural jewellery from Chile, Peru, Colombia, Bolivia, Ecuador, El Salvador and Mexico, among other Latin American countries, tantalised visitors on Saturday, 18 March.
Activities on the day ranged from decorating pinatas, a Spanish play group, puppet making, salsa dancing, Latin art displays, and Spanish classes for beginners.
Organiser and Doveton resident Paulina Fuentes said the festival aimed at celebrating Latin American cultures within the Greater Dandenong community.
Ms Fuentes, of Chilean descent, had her own stall, including a poncho and other traditional items worn by the Mapuche tribes, who are indigenous to the south of Chile.
The day was also an opportunity for the Escuela Hispanoamericana de Springvale, or Springvale Spanish School, to promote its classes, which long-serving teacher Doris Castro said were the only Victorian classes to cater for school grades, rather than competence levels.