Mas Mojitos Por Favor
by Caroline Cubbage
Graphic Courtesy of Pinterest
Anyone who lives in Boston knows that plans for the weekend often involve the neighborhood bar or an expensive brunch outing accompanied by a hefty bill. Therefore, when an opportunity comes along to have some free, cultural fun, it is crucial to seize the opportunity.
Global Arts, Eats and Beats, an arts and culture festival on November 17, celebrated local businesses and clubs that have Latin American roots. Hosted by Fab@CIC, a successful collaborative effort between the Fab Foundation and CIC, both companies that dedicate themselves to promoting innovation amongst engineering and artistic communities.
The festival was a collection of different artisanal and culinary vendors, as well as a live band and salsa dancing showcases. Several booths were dedicated to Latin drinks and food; the burritos being the most sought after. The coffee and hot chocolate tasting was one of the more popular attractions, as well as the mojito and beer booths.
Several Latin American charities were featured as well, such as Bikes not Bombs, which sends bicycles to impoverished communities. Another vendor, Tamas Textiles, is a women’s weaving cooperative that sends a portion of their proceeds to Guatemala. All over the festival were different works of art by local, Latin American artists, the majority of whom were also sending the proceeds of their art to Latin American countries.
“It was a great, short and simple event to go to on a Friday afternoon after a long week. Plus it was free!” said Sofiko Pipia (CAS ’19). She hopes there will be more events like this by the CIC Arts Team in the future.
Other attendees expressed the same, saying they would be on the lookout for future events.
“This was such a fun, local thing to do on a weekend instead of just going for a boring drink at a bar after work. How often do you get to hear live Latin music for free in Boston?” said Barbara Hawes, a long time Bostonian and lawyer.
Her co-worker Lisa Schmidt said, “This was so refreshing, I can’t wait to see what they organize next.”
The next event on the Fab@CIC calendar, located conveniently on their website, is on December 13th. The event, a Holiday Maker Soiree, will allow people to create fabulous personalized gifts for the holiday season, including laser-etched tumblers and ornaments. For those 21 and older, there will even be a whiskey tasting from a local distillery.
So, head on over to 50 Milk Street to experience all this cool, innovative company has to offer and bask in the holiday spirit. Based on the success of the Latin American Festival, who knows what will happen at the next event.