Hillsboro Ballpark opens its gates this Sunday for the 20th annual Latino Community Festival, a free, family-friendly celebration expected to draw nearly 10,000 visitors from across the region. The event runs from noon to 6 p.m. at the stadium, located at 4450 N.E. Century Blvd., and organizers say it will offer a full day of cultural celebration, entertainment and community engagement.
The milestone festival, first reported by The Oregonian/OregonLive, will feature music from the Sabroso Band and Conjunto Alegre Band, along with dance performances from Lines Dance Academy. A quinceañera fashion show presented by Lucia Isabel Collection is also on the schedule, giving attendees a look at one of the most anticipated milestones in Latino culture. Artisan vendors, local businesses and community organizations will staff booths throughout the grounds, and a Hillsboro futsal tournament will bring more than 200 athletes to compete alongside the festivities.
A Festival Built on Business Networking, Now a Regional Draw
The Latino Community Festival didn't start out as a cultural showcase — it began as a Washington County Chamber of Commerce initiative meant to connect Latino business owners with local commercial networks, according to Explore Tualatin Valley. Over two decades, it has grown into a broad-scale community celebration that now serves as a platform for Latino-owned businesses to showcase their products and services while helping strengthen economic opportunities across the county. Food vendors this year will offer aguas frescas, esquites, papas fritas and sweet treats, and organizers say the event provides chances to explore Latino traditions, connect with local resources and support small businesses. Festival details are available at washingtoncountychamberor.com/lcf.
Hillsboro's Latino Population Anchors the Celebration
The festival's home city makes the case for why the event has become a regional fixture. About 25.8% of Hillsboro's population identifies as Hispanic or Latino, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, one of the highest concentrations among major Oregon cities in a city of more than 106,000 residents. Countywide, 19.9% of Washington County's population is Hispanic or Latino, compared with a 13.9% statewide average recorded in the 2020 Census — a figure that, per Oregon Public Broadcasting, makes Hispanic residents the state's largest racial or ethnic minority group.
A Ballpark With Its Own Recent History
Hillsboro Ballpark itself has a story of transition. Built in 2013 inside the city's Gordon Faber Recreation Complex, the 4,500-seat stadium was known as Ron Tonkin Field from 2014 until a 10-year naming rights deal expired in early 2024. It now serves as home field for the High-A Hillsboro Hops, and beyond Sunday's festival, the city partners with Centro Cultural to host El Grito each September at the same venue, celebrating Mexican Independence Day and broader Latin American heritage.
Part of a Broader Network of Latino Cultural Hubs
The festival doesn't stand alone. Hillsboro's 10th Avenue corridor, known as Calle Diez, a cultural heartbeat of the city, forms its primary Latino commercial district, where more than two-thirds of residents identify as Hispanic or Latino and longstanding family-owned businesses like Su Casa Super Mercado operate alongside bilingual services and public murals. Nearby, Centro Cultural de Washington County has anchored the region's Latino community since 1972, when it was founded in Cornelius by Mexican immigrant farmworker families who settled there following post-World War II agricultural labor trends, according to the Oregon Encyclopedia. The organization grew out of farmworker advocacy groups such as the Los Amigos Club, formed in 1966.
The city also supports the El Sol Festival at M&M Marketplace, a commercial hub that gives Latino entrepreneurs low-barrier space to sell their goods and host cultural gatherings. And the municipal support extends beyond festivals: in December, Hillsboro allocated $200,000 in grant funding to local nonprofits, including Latino Network, to support food assistance and community outreach — part of a broader push Hoodline previously reported was aimed at helping nonprofits and residents across the Portland metro area.
