Fall 2025 | Edible Notables, Local Latino

Feel-Good Festival Food

Latino Arte and Culture exposes locals to Latin music, art, and food.

At Latino Arte and Culture’s signature Fiesta on Wells street party on Sept. 21 or its Day of the Dead Festival on Nov. 2, make sure to feed your stomach as well as your senses.

“At our festivals, food is important because it’s important to our culture,” says Mario DelaRosa, cofounder of the Reno nonprofit, who sits with me at Pinches Tacos restaurant, one of these events’ many vendors. “But other things are important as well, like art and theater.”

For more than two decades, the organization run by DelaRosa and his wife and cofounder, Annamaria Cavallone, has produced Spanish-language, Latino-centric programming such as theater workshops and plays in the area. The couple also coordinates countless festivities that expose locals to Latin music, artwork, and, of course, gastronomy.

The majority of the snacks you’ll find at Fiesta on Wells will remind you of Mexican street foods — churros, tacos, as well as raspados, a fruity shaved ice dessert, and beverages such as aguas frescas.

At the Day of the Dead Festival, however, look for pan de muertos, or bread of the dead, a traditional holiday sweet bread distinct for its flavor accents of orange and anise seed. Attendees also should search for the ponche de frutas, or fruit punch. This warm drink is traditionally made with tejocotes, an apple/pear-shaped but sour-flavor fruit that’s native to Mexico and Guatemala and rich in vitamins A and C. Desire something more decadent? Try a champurrado, a Mexican-style hot chocolate.

“We like that people have options. But in terms of Latin food, we could have more diversity [outside of Mexican food],” DelaRosa says, explaining that some of Latino Arte’s festivals do cater to the heavily represented Mexican population in the region.

The couple’s winning strategy for picking food vendors is to offer variety but limit competition so that everyone can generate a profit.

“We try not to have the same type of food [in more than one place], so that it goes well for everyone,” Cavallone says. “For the 100 or so stands, we may have six, seven, maybe eight food vendors. If another truck with food from a different Latin American country wants in, we will make space. We just don’t want it to badly impact those who are committed.”

Latino Arte and Culture commits yearly to a handful of restaurant owners and mobile vendors, including Juve’s Raspados, a Reno food truck that offers fruit juices, shaved ice, and other interesting fruit-based items; Churros Huesos of Sun Valley, serving the fried, sweet, doughy goodness in assorted ways; Julissa’s Pica Pica Candy of Reno, which sells yummy, gushy sweets such as tamarind-soaked apple topped with cacahuates (peanuts), chamoy, tajín, and other sticky goodies; and Paleteria La Michoacana of Sparks, providing aguas frescas.

The main protein is sold by La Carreta Taqueria & Lounge of Midtown Reno. New additions to the festival scene include Reno-based Salvadoran food truck Fuente de Vida and Sparks truck La Papa Cabaña.

At both Fiesta on Wells and Day of the Dead, attendees now can enjoy alcohol, too. Pinches Tacos owner Adolfo Reyes appreciates what Latino Arte and Culture does for the Latino community in Reno and came on board three years ago with the liquor license.

“Mario is a pioneer who hasn’t let our culture die. Without him, we wouldn’t have these events,” Reyes says. “He’s very motivated, and it shows.”

RESOURCES

Latino Arte and Culture
2745 Elementary Drive, Reno
775-378-1779, 775-378-7025
Latinoarte.org
Find Latino Arte and Culture Reno on Facebook

Churros Huesos (Jalisco Style)
5425 Sun Valley Ave., Reno
775-699-8289 · Churroshuesos.com

Julissa’s Pica Pica
Call for orders and locations
775-471-7966 · Find Julissaspicacandy on Instagram

Juve’s Raspados
Follow for locations
Find Juves_raspados on Instagram

Pinches Tacos
2900 Clear Acre Lane, Reno
775-409-3444 · Pinchestacosreno.com