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| Parade of Nations, Hola Festival 2011, Knoxville |
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| 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.
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| Hola Festival 2011 |
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| Hola Festival 2011 |
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| 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.
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| Parade of Nations, Hola Festival 2011, Knoxville |
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| Hola Festival 2011 |
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| 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?
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| Hola Festival 2011, Knoxville |
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| Hola Festival 2011, Knoxville |
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| Hola Festival 2011, Knoxville |
I hope you enjoy the pictures and feel a little of the joy of this marvelous day in the city.
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| Parade of Nations, Hola Festival 2011, Knoxville |
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| Parade of Nations, Hola Festival 2011, Knoxville |
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| Hola Festival 2011 |
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| Hola Festival 2011 |
