Attendees will be “livin’ la vida loca” Saturday night at the Union Bar & Grill.
The Union, 18 W. Union St., is hosting Fiesta Latina where students and Athens locals can dance to Latin music.
“It’s crazy packed every time, just (people) dancing wall to wall,” Erin Christian, a bartender at the Union Bar & Grill who worked during a past Fiesta Latina, said. The event, starting at 9 p.m., is free for attendees 21 years old and older and $3 for those younger than 21.
A lot of college students attend the event, Christian said, as well as international students.
“The way the DJ is set up, you can dance on the stage, so it’s a lot of fun,” Christian said.
The music is upbeat Latin music that includes dances such as salsa, reggaeton and merengue, according to the Facebook event.
“I always liked their dances,” Allie Kurilec, an undecided freshman, said. “It’s just upbeat and lifting. It’s very positive.”
The Union Bar & Grill has had a few Fiesta Latinas since reopening after the fire, Christian said. Before the fire, Jackie O’s hosted the dance night.
Even though the dance night featured songs Rachel Couch, an OU alumna who attended a Fiesta Latina, had never heard of before, she said it was still fun to salsa dance to.
“Fiesta Latina is always fun for partner dancing, which is something you don’t really get at '80s night anymore, or '90s night,” Couch said.
Couch said she went to the dance night when it was winter, and it provided a “nice reprieve” from the cold.
“There were a lot of students that I don’t usually see,” Couch said. “A lot of friendly faces that were just there to dance. It was just a lot of fun. The people who go to Fiesta Latina are definitely a different crowd than other dance nights that I’m used to. It’s warm and friendly.”
Wendy Petrehn, a senior studying environmental biology, said she has never been to Fiesta Latina but said it seems fun.
“I’m not really a dancer, so I don’t know if I would have a good time,” Petrehn said. “If they had Mexican-themed food or Spanish-themed food, I would definitely consider it. But I’m not much of a dancer.”
Sophia McCartney, a senior studying geology, said she would be interested in going to watch.
“It’s very lovely,” McCartney said. “It’s a means of bringing people together who are interested in the same kind of social events. Not particularly to me because I’m like a door. I don’t dance very well.”
