MiraCosta College’s Annual Latino Book & Family Festival Has Something for Everyone

One of the largest cultural events of the year, the annual the Latino Book & Family Festival, comes to MiraCosta College October 15. The event will feature over 100 exhibitors organized in villages focused on authors, children, education, food, and health, and will include more than 30 award-winning authors of works in all genres written by or about Latinos. The festival will also include entertainment, a children’s stage, bilingual activities, workshops, food, and book giveaways.

The festival kicks off Friday night with the 20th anniversary celebration and public screening of Chicana playwright Josefina López’ iconic film, Real Women Have Curves, at 7 p.m. in MiraCosta’s Little Theatre.
 
The festival will officially be opened at 10 a.m. on Saturday, by U.S. Congressman Mike Levin, MiraCosta College Superintendent/President and CEO Sunita Cooke, and San Diego County District 5 Supervisor Jim Desmond. Desmond and Levin will honor North County Latino elected officials. Later in the day, Festival keynote speakers will be playwright Josefina López and Rain of Gold author Victor Villaseñor. With ample free parking on campus, the festival is expected to attract more than 3,500 guests.
 
Launched in Los Angeles in 1997 and co-produced by award-winning actor and community activist Edward James Olmos, the Latino Book & Family Festival has become a sought-after and popular event held in key Hispanic markets across the country and is aimed at promoting literacy, culture, and education in a welcoming environment for the entire family. The festivals are operated by the nonprofit Empowering Latino Futures and dedicated to advancing reading and literature as a way of improving lives throughout the Latino community. The purpose of the festival is to offer opportunities in the community, ideally reaching out to Latino families and youth, highlighting the importance of literacy, and promoting awareness of college and community resources. More information is available at the festival website.
 
Hosted by MiraCosta College. Partners include AARP, MAAC, MyPoint Credit Union, North San Diego County Promise, RMC Automotive Specialties, Route 78 Rotary, San Diego Council on Literacy, SDG&E, Vista Community Clinic, and Watkins Wellness. Media partners include KSDY-TV San Diego 50, San Diego County Library, and Oceanside and Carlsbad Public Libraries.
 
The MiraCosta College Oceanside Campus is located at 1 Barnard Drive, Oceanside, 92506.
 
About MiraCosta College
 
The MiraCosta Community College District has served the coastal North San Diego County area for over 88 years. More than 19,000 credit students annually in over 80 disciplines enroll in associate degrees, university transfer and workforce readiness certificate programs. The college also serves over 7,000 students a wide spectrum of educational needs in the region ranging from programs for adult education, community education, basic skills, and English as a Second Language (ESL) to a California Community College pilot program offering the nation’s first baccalaureate degree in biomanufacturing. As a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), veteran and military supportive institution, and Achieving the Dream Leader College, MiraCosta College fosters the academic and holistic success of its diverse learners within a caring and equitable environment to strengthen the educational, economic, cultural, and social well-being of the communities it serves. MiraCosta College is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).