Contact: Steve Sumerford
Phone: 336-373-3636

Free Family Fun on Tap for Downtown El Dia Event on May 1

GREENSBORO, NC – (April 27, 2010) – The second annual celebration of El Dia de los Niños/El Dia de los Libros (Children’s Day/Book Day) is from 1-6 pm Saturday, May 1, at Center City Park, 200 N. Elm St. Part of Poetry GSO festival and ArtBeat Greensboro, this free event is one of the largest celebrations of Latino culture in Greensboro.

Headlining this year’s celebration are music by West End Mambo, poetry readings by National Book Award Winner Jimmy Santiago Baca, free soccer clinics with members of the Carolina Dynamo team (held across the street at Festival Park), and a wide variety of food and craft vendors. Also featured are ArtQuest activities, salsa dancing, a resource fair, prizes, face-painting, up close and personal visits with a llama, and much more.

For more information about El Dia de los Niños/El Dia de los Libros (Children’s Day/Book Day) activities, visit www.poetrygso.org. The celebration is sponsored by several community organizations, foundations, and City of Greensboro departments.

Author Baca will also give a free public reading of his work at 5 pm Friday, April 30, at Central Library, 219 N. Church St. Baca, who is of Chicano and Apache descent, writes about the southwest and the myths that are part of his culture. Raised for several years in an orphanage, he also spent time in a maximum security prison. It was there he learned to read and write, and found his passion for poetry. For more information about his April 30 reading, call 336-373-3636.

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The City of Greensboro works with the community to improve the quality of life for residents through inclusion, diversity, and trust. As the seventh largest employer in Greensboro, the City has a professional staff of 2,800 employees who maintain the values of honesty, integrity, stewardship, and respect. The City is governed by a council-manager form of government with a mayor and eight council members. For more information on the City, visit www.greensboro-nc.gov or call 373-CITY (2489).