Festival Cubano Brings Cuban Culture, Food, Music to Chicago's Northwest Side

Chicago's Riis Park looks and sounds a lot more like Havana, Cuba this weekend, as the 6th Annual Festival Cubano brings together the best in Cuban culture, music, and cuisine, according to ABC7 Chicago. Live acts perform Afro Cuban music, culture and dance. Cuban timba musician Pedrito Calvo is participating in this year's events along with other Latin American musicians.

Besides food and music from Cuba and Latin America, the three-day event features a wide variety of arts and crafts booths, an expanded carnival area on a new location inside the park, a beer lounge and hand-rolled cigar bar, cooking demonstrations and cook-offs, a domino tournament, a health pavilion, school supplies giveaways and even a classic car show. The festival begins at noon each day at Riis Park.

Festival Cubano coordinators George Herrera and Alejandro Riera joined ABC 7 live on the Weekend Morning Show to talk about this year's fun. Herrera said they are also celebrating the raising of the U.S. flag in the embassy in Havana. He thinks it will open more doors of relationships between both countries and will allow more Cuban musicians to perform their music in the United States.