Celebrate With Us!
Join us for a day of cultural celebration. Enjoy great music, support vital educational efforts and honor the spirit of Hispanic Heritage Month. Secure your tickets today!
Date: Sunday, September 13, 2026
Time: 1 PM - 4 PM
Place: Foundry Art Centre, 520 North Main Center, St. Charles, MO 63301
Help US Support Global Literacy, starting with Guatemala:
Participating in “Fiesta de Cultura” directly contributes to Global Learning Exchange Initiative's (GLXi’s®) efforts to broaden access to literacy and education in Guatemala. “There is no such thing as a child who hates to read; there are only children who have not found the right book. Literacy is a bridge from misery to hope. It is a tool for daily life in modern society.” UNESCO
Note: Two complimentary drink tickets and food is included with each ticket purchase! Children 12 and under are free of charge.
Good Music + Good Food + Good Cause
Meet Your MC: Gabriela Ramírez-Arellano
Gabriela Ramírez-Arellano is a keynote speaker, multicultural coach, and small business growth expert dedicated to empowering the Latino community in St. Louis and beyond. Originally from Guanajuato, Mexico, she serves as VP of Entrepreneurship at Cortex Innovation Community and Executive Director of the BALSA Foundation, mentoring first-time entrepreneurs of color. She is also the co-host of Auténtico Podcast and a Women of Achievement honoree. We are thrilled to have her as our MC for Fiesta de Cultura!
Featuring the Music of Gipsy Social
"Where the fiery spirit of flamenco meets the soulful rhythms of Cuban tradition."
Gipsy Social is one of St. Louis's hottest Latin ensembles, fusing the iconic sounds of The Gipsy Kings and Buena Vista Social Club into an electrifying live experience. Their sold-out show at the Kirkwood Performing Arts Center brought fans back for more — and now they're bringing that same energy to Fiesta de Cultura. The six-piece band features Aaron Burlbaw on vocals, guitar & tres cubano; Emerson Magaña on vocals & guitar (his debut album Tequila Time was just featured on St. Louis Public Radio!); Dawn Weber on vocals & trumpet; Pookee Jones on bass; Matthew Henry on percussion; and Brian May on drums. Learn more at GipsySocial.com
Special Musical Guest — The ConSentido Project
Joining Gipsy Social on stage is The ConSentido Project — a world music ensemble founded and led by classically trained tenor Mauricio Villanueva. ConSentido — Spanish for "with feeling" — and that's exactly what this band delivers every time they take the stage. The ConSentido Project brings together a talented ensemble of musicians blending Latin, Afro-Cuban, flamenco, salsa, and global rhythms into something truly unforgettable. Born in Mexico and shaped by performances across Europe, Asia, and the U.S., Mauricio — a featured artist on La Voz Méxicoand cast member of the Tony Award–winning In the Heights at STAGES St. Louis — leads a band that builds bridges between cultures through music and pure joy. We are thrilled to have The ConSentido Project join Gipsy Social at this year's Fiesta de Cultura! Follow them on Facebook.
Why it matters
Your ticket funds a teacher who changes everything
In Guatemala, more than half of children finish third grade unable to read. GLXi trains public school teachers to change that — not through a weekend workshop, but through an eight-month, 90-hour certification program, followed by monthly professional development for the rest of their careers. Formally accredited by Guatemala's Ministry of Education and counting toward teachers' government salaries and career advancement.
Reading growth in GLXi classrooms vs. control classrooms in the same high-poverty communities — 2025 results
Since 2013: 285 certified teachers, 27,000+ children reached, 108 schools across 14 of Guatemala's 22 regions. GLXi holds a four-star Charity Navigator rating — the highest rating earned by fewer than 25% of evaluated nonprofits — and is independently audited and fully licensed in both the US and Guatemala.
Guatemala's school year begins in February. Your sponsorship or ticket purchase this September funds the teachers who will walk into classrooms in early 2027.
Our 2026 Sponsors
