Hola Festival 2011, Parade of Nations, Part 2

Knoxville Urban Guy·September 28, 2011

Parade of Nations, Hola Festival 2011, Knoxville

Mariachi Band, Hola Festival, Knoxville

As promised, here are more of the great sights from the Hola Festival, Parade of Nations. To the best of my knowledge, I don’t have an ounce of Latin blood, but it fills me with pride to see people so happy about their country of origin.

Hola Festival 2011

Parade of Nations, Hola Festival 2011, Knoxville

The best analogy I have in my own experience is a trip I made to Japan a number of years ago. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and found the culture to be fascinating and admirable in many ways. I stayed with a Japanese family for a week and when the time came to leave I teared up. Still, a few days later in Tokyo, as I walked through a back-street food market, I heard the unmistakable sounds of Emmylou Harris singing the “Tennessee Waltz.” I nearly cried.

Parade of Nations, Hola Festival 2011, Knoxville

Hola Festival 2011

I’ve never been so proud of the place where I lived. It wasn’t about any disregard for the place I was visiting, but there is something about the first place that ever meant “home.” There’s nothing like it. That’s what I see in the Parade of Nations: People having one small chance outside their daily lives to raise a glass or lift a cheer for “home,” and who among us can’t relate to that?