CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – The Latin American cultural festival Cville Sabroso is set to return to the Ting Pavilion this Saturday from 2-9 p.m. for its 14th annual event.

The festival, organized and hosted by the local non-profit Sin Barreras, is coming off a strong event last year, with festival director Andrea Jacobs telling Cville Right Now that attendance increased 20% in 2025.

“We were really excited about that, and all of the community support that showed up for us last year,” she said. “So, this year, we’re doing the same thing again.”

As usual, the event will feature a wide variety of music and dance performances, art and food with multiple countries represented. The festival has also expanded many of its areas this year, including its Kids Zone, which will run from 2-8 p.m. and features three new activities.

Among the additions is an activity called “Deseos y Sueños de los Niños,” which will be an area where kids can write down their wishes. There will also be six new pasaporte activities, or passport activities, throughout the Ting Pavilion, with attendees receiving a prize if they complete all six. The festival will also feature local magician Wes Iseli, who will be walking around the festival throughout the afternoon performing his illusions.

“Magic is a universal language—it gives people of every age and cultural background an opportunity to share the same moment of wonder,” Iseli said in a Cville Sabroso release. “I can’t wait to create some of those magical moments at Sabroso with families from across the Charlottesville community.”

This year will also feature a new second stage area, which will host games of Loterîa, a game akin to bingo, run by the Charlottesville Filipino Cultural Association at 3:10 p.m., 4:10 p.m. and 5:10 p.m. These games will be interspliced with performances by Yamang Kultura, the Filipino dance group.

This marks the first time the local Filipino community has participated in Cville Sabroso. Jacobs said the festival is excited to welcome the Filipino community, as they share more history with the Hispanic community than most realize.

“We’re really excited about that because most people don’t realize that we share an independence from Spain,” she said.

All in all, the festival serves as both a celebration of Latin American culture and a major fundraiser for Sin Barreras, which provides services and support to local immigrant families. Particularly in recent months, the organization has continued its efforts as immigrant families face federal immigration enforcement and other challenges. Most recently, the organization’s grocery card campaign, originally launched in May, has raised slightly over $75,000 as of Aug. 31.

Jacobs said the “real goal” of the event every year is to celebrate Sin Barreras and what they do for the community, while also raising funds to ensure they can continue providing educational programs and other services to immigrant families

Cville Sabroso also lands in the midst of Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15. While this was not purposeful, Jacobs said the timing is perfect for the event.

“This is a time to celebrate,” she said. “It’s a time to come together and just show that there is community here and that we are here for each other, even during challenging times.”

Tickets for the festival are $15 for adults and teens and can be purchased online until midnight on Friday or on the day of at the event. Kids under 12 get in free.