Hispanic Heritage Food Bazaar coming to Wilton Manors

This is “Small Bites,” a South Florida Sun Sentinel feature with tiny tidbits on the food and beverage scene — because we know that sometimes you just don’t have room for a long article. You want a little news brief instead, an amuse bouche of information, if you will. Enjoy!

WHAT:

Home cooks and foodies from Latin American and Caribbean countries will use their culinary skills for a cause.

The 11th Annual Hispanic Heritage Food Bazaar on Oct. 20 will raise money for Latinos Salud, a health services and education organization for the LGBTQ+ population in Broward and Miami-Dade counties.

“This is entirely a community-created event,” said Stephen J. Fallon, executive director of Latinos Salud. “We do not have restaurant sponsors tabling with samples or anything like that. Your own neighbors are preparing food from the heart, to share with pride.”

So far, they have tables representing food and culture from Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico and Venezuela.

“At each year’s events, there has always been plenty of pollo a la plancha (grilled chicken), frijoles negros (black beans), ropa vieja, cerdo lechon, empanadas, ceviche, plantains, yucca, tres leches and flan,” Fallon recalled. “Each table has at least three members, helping to prepare the foods, decorate the booth, and choose their attire, which often reflects traditional dress from their country or territory of their heritage.”

The event has grown every year, starting out the first time with about 30 attendees. “Last year, we stopped counting at 250,” Fallon said.

WHEN: 6-10 p.m. Friday, Oct. 20

WHERE: Latinos Salud Wilton Manors, 1401 NE 26th St.

COST: General admission is $15 (food, soft drinks and a drink ticket for the cash bar); VIP admission is $25 (same as general admission but with four drink tickets)

INFORMATION: latinossalud.org