FOOD VENDORS
Recognizing that food has been one of the most successful ways of sharing one’s culture, festival organizers have always intended to partner with diverse, quality food vendors representing the culinary traditions of Latin America.
The Iowa Latino Heritage Festival has become a prime selling and marketing opportunity for all businesses involved. Food vendors have easily made back 9 to 10 times their investment and have received invaluable marketing exposure for their small businesses.
CULTURAL BOOTHS
Another top draw among festival attendees, the cultural booths have come to represent most Latin American countries, providing audiences with a deeper cultural understanding of the nuance and diversity within the Latino community.
One of the most prevalent comments is “I didn’t know their are so many Latin American people from so many different countries in Iowa!” It has made us extremely proud to give populations of Latinos a voice and presence to celebrate and share their country’s heritage.
As people visit these cultural booths, they learn about dance, arts and crafts, food, language, customs, politics, demographics, celebrations, and so much more. It is the type of information that enriches a student’s learning no matter the age, and one which equips all Iowa employees to understand the richness of diversity.
CHILDREN’S ACTIVITIES
The activities in the children’s area help to accomplish a cultural exchange and affirmation that is not experienced by most children in school. Festival attendees each year say they value and appreciate the family-friendly environment of the festival. Activities range from jumping castles to pinata making. The vision of providing hands-on educational activities for children has guided the festival from the beginning. Last year there were more hands-on children’s activities than ever, and we hope to continue that for the 2019 festival.
EXHIBITORS
The festival has always intended to provide its audience a quality and balanced array of information, products, and services through exhibitors. Over the years, exhibitors ranging from professional business services, retail, churches, health and social agencies, to political parties have all taken an interest in reaching this untapped market. We believe that the loyalty we have built with these exhibitors speaks to the value they see in participating in the festival.
Each year, over 90% of exhibitors return to display their products, to roll out a new initiative, to recruit bilingual employees, or simply to build brand awareness. The demand from exhibitors has become so great in fact, that is has afforded us the luxury of being more selective in our exhibitors such that the best products and services are being presented to festival attendees. In addition, we have been able to diversify our exhibitors to have a more regional reach.
Civic Engagement and Education Soapbox
The 2026 Iowa's Latino Heritage Festival Presents the Civic Engagement and Education Soapbox Qué Pasa Iowa?
Iowa’s Latino Heritage Festival continues its efforts to connect Latinos to state and local candidates running for elected office and to ensure those candidates are listening to the largest minority group in Iowa.
This nonpartisan program within the festival provides a comfortable, familiar, and linguistically accessible space, via Facebook Live, for Latino voters and others to watch and listen to candidates and determine who will best represent their interest and can lead them into a better future.
To offer the most access to the event, the soapbox will be broadcasted via Facebook Live from 1:30 to 5:00 p.m. on September 26th and 27th. Those who are interested in watching, whether live or recorded, can through https://www.facebook.com/quepasaiowa/.
The bilingual podcast ¿Que Pasa Iowa? and its principal owner Claudia Thrane is a partner of the soapbox and will conduct and broadcast the candidate interviews.
For more information and for candidates who wish to participate, contact chairperson of the Civic Engagement and Education Soapbox Alba Perez at albaaidaperez@gmail.com
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ARTIST DISPLAYS
The exhibit includes many local Iowa Latino arts and crafts. There is photography, oils, acrylic paintings, sculptures, and performance art. These artists have come together to integrate their unique experience as Latino Iowans and which reflects an often-ignored segment of Iowa’s history. The Iowa Latino Heritage Festival is proud to provide a platform for this creative voice to be heard!
FOOD VENDORS
Recognizing that food has been one of the most successful ways of sharing one’s culture, festival organizers have always intended to partner with diverse, quality food vendors representing the culinary traditions of Latin America.
The Iowa Latino Heritage Festival has become a prime selling and marketing opportunity for all businesses involved. Food vendors have easily made back 9 to 10 times their investment and have received invaluable marketing exposure for their small businesses.
CULTURAL BOOTHS
Another top draw among festival attendees, the cultural booths have come to represent most Latin American countries, providing audiences with a deeper cultural understanding of the nuance and diversity within the Latino community.
One of the most prevalent comments is “I didn’t know their are so many Latin American people from so many different countries in Iowa!” It has made us extremely proud to give populations of Latinos a voice and presence to celebrate and share their country’s heritage.
As people visit these cultural booths, they learn about dance, arts and crafts, food, language, customs, politics, demographics, celebrations, and so much more. It is the type of information that enriches a student’s learning no matter the age, and one which equips all Iowa employees to understand the richness of diversity.
CHILDREN’S ACTIVITIES
The activities in the children’s area help to accomplish a cultural exchange and affirmation that is not experienced by most children in school. Festival attendees each year say they value and appreciate the family-friendly environment of the festival. Activities range from jumping castles to pinata making. The vision of providing hands-on educational activities for children has guided the festival from the beginning. Last year there were more hands-on children’s activities than ever, and we hope to continue that for the 2019 festival.
EXHIBITORS
The festival has always intended to provide its audience a quality and balanced array of information, products, and services through exhibitors. Over the years, exhibitors ranging from professional business services, retail, churches, health and social agencies, to political parties have all taken an interest in reaching this untapped market. We believe that the loyalty we have built with these exhibitors speaks to the value they see in participating in the festival.
Each year, over 90% of exhibitors return to display their products, to roll out a new initiative, to recruit bilingual employees, or simply to build brand awareness. The demand from exhibitors has become so great in fact, that is has afforded us the luxury of being more selective in our exhibitors such that the best products and services are being presented to festival attendees. In addition, we have been able to diversify our exhibitors to have a more regional reach.
Facts about our people:
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By July 1, 2050, it is estimated there will be 450,321 Latinos living in Iowa. We will constitute 13 percent of the state’s population.
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12.1 percent of our population is younger than age 5, as of July 1, 2014. There are more Latino preschoolers than any other race or ethnic group.
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37 percent of our people were born in Latin America; 32 percent were born in Iowa.
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The majority of our people were born in Mexico (41,224 in 2014). However, others are natives of El Salvador (3,647), Guatemala (4,887), Panama (625), Ecuador (714), Colombia (665), Brazil (759) and Venezuela (656), which is why the festival celebrates all of these countries and more.
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The largest Latino population is in Polk County, where 36,994 Latinos (21.3 percent of the statewide population) live.
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Other high concentrations of Latinos are Crawford County (27.3 percent), Buena Vista (24.8 percent), Marshall (19.9 percent) and Louisa (16.2 percent).
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From 2000 to 2014, 52.7 percent of the growth in the Latino population occurred in Polk, Woodbury, Johnson, Marshall, Scott, Pottawattamie, Linn and Crawford counties. The Latino population in Ringgold increased by 669.2 percent between 2000 and 2014.
The following requirements must be met:
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Complete and submit online application (Click Here to Apply *)
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Complete online electrical requirements
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Mail photos of booth or a brief description of what you plan to display
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Mail menu with prices or a list of items to be sold
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Mail a copy of Iowa Retail Vendor Permit
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Mail proof of insurance
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Review the minimum requirements for a vendor and prepare to meet those criteria, if selected to participate
Please Return all requested material to:
Latino Heritage Festival
4217 University Avenue, Suite 1
Des Moines, IA 50311
* Food Vendor fee $ 700 for the 2026 Festival. Submitting a vendor application does not guarantee entry into the festival. If accepted, a confirmation notice and request for payment will be sent to you. Only money orders or cashier checks will be accepted for payment.
Extension Cords are the responsibility of the Food Vendor and should be a minimum of 12 gauge/3 wire and 25-foot length for your 120-volt requirements. If 220 Volt is required please indicate if ends are bare wired or provide plug identification by looking at plug face.
For your permits and licensing please go to:
Inspection & Appeals (across the street from the Capitol Building)
Lucas State Office Building
3rd Floor
321 E. 12th St.
Des Moines, Iowa
phone. 515-281-6538
Below we have provided in PDF format the Polk County Environmental Health Division Temporary Food Establishment Rules.
Polk County Environmental Health Division
Temporary Food Establishment Rules
*The vendor signing this application here by acknowledges they have read, understand and agree to all the 2025 Latino Heritage Festival Vendor Procedures and Rules including the Health and Fire Department and the City of Des Moines requirements, and agrees to abide by the said Procedures and Rules if space is assigned to the participant. Vendor certifies that all information contained in this application is true and correct. The above named company, individual, or organization and all related individuals shall indemnify and hold harmless the Latino Heritage Festival, Latino Resources, Inc. from and against any and all claims, demands, actions, liabilities, damages, losses, cost, and expenses (including attorney fees, court costs, and other professional fees) or judgments arising out of, or in connection with any claim, demand or action made by any third party, if such are sustained as a direct or indirect consequence of participation in the 2025 Latino Heritage Festivalto be held at the Western Gateway Park in Downtown, Des Moines, Iowa. Vendor fees are non-refundable due to a cancellation of the festival