Ellie Lopez

Latin music star Ender Thomas of W. Palm Beach is the latest to confirm that he will perform at Viva! Lehigh, which is planned at Veterans Park in Lehigh Acres on April 30 from 4 to 11 p.m.

Bob Encarnacion, who is the event chairman for Viva! Lehigh, said Ender is one of the favorites of Latin music and will bring his own charm and sounds to the Latin fest in Lehigh.

This is the second annual Viva! Lehigh, which is being sponsored by the Lehigh Acres Chamber of Commerce and several other businesses in the community.

Last year’s inaugural event pleased Chamber officials so much that they have decided to continue it annually. Guestimates last year were than 10,000 people attended the free event. This year, Encarnacion says they are betting on a crowd of 12,000 people who come to enjoy all the games, foods, and great entertainment on the big outside stage at Veterans Park.

He said Viva! Lehigh is being held in an effort to bring some of the nation’s top Latin performers to Lehigh, a diversified community of Spanish and English speaking citizens.

Albita Rodriguez

“Lehigh is a big community now with thousands of Hispanics. We have seen the need to bring the community together and we thought this would be a great opportunity to provide a great concert for all the people of Lehigh, no matter their nationality or where they came from,” Encarnacion said.

Latest U.S. census figures from 2010 show that Lehigh is indeed a diversified community. It is believed there are close to 90,000 people living in Lehigh and that as many as 18,000 or more of them are of Spanish origin.

“We want to bring both communities together,” Encarnacion said. “Last year, most of the people in the crowds were of Spanish origin. We had at least another 10 percent of the citizens in Lehigh to attend.

“We are hoping for both groups to come and enjoy the concerts together,” he said.

And as for entertainment, and remember it is free, except for a $5 parking donation to get into the park, visitors will get to hear international sensation Grammy Award winning artist Albita Rodriguez, the world famous entertainment Salsa Orchestra, Puerto Rican Power and singing sensation Ellie Lopez.

Ellie Lopez

“We’ve got a great line-up and we really believe all the people of Lehigh will enjoy the music,” Encarnacion said.

He called Viva! Lehigh, “a vibrant Latin Music Festival showcasing local, national and international talent.“

“And like I said, it is a festival aimed to bring Lehigh Acres together to celebrate our diversity, our cultures and our people,” he said.

There will be everything from Salsa, Latin, Jazz, Merengue, and Spanish, including pop entertainment.

“It’s surely going to be more explosive this year with guests coming from all over Southwest Florida. There’s nothing else like it in the three-county area and when people hear about it, they want to come,” Encarnacion said.

Puerto Rican Power

But the music is not all there is to entertain large crowds.

There will be arts and crafts tables, bounce houses, an obstacle course, pony rides, a petting zoo, games, a rock climbing wall and lots of good food.

The $5 donation entrance fee for parking will help benefit the Lehigh Acres Chamber of Commerce.

“We will have plenty of parking,” Encarnacion said.

Chamber President and CEO Joe Whalen said he and his family plan to attend.

“It’s going to be great entertainment,” he said. “People all over Lehigh and nearby areas shouldn’t miss this music fest.“

No coolers are allowed in park. No alcoholic nor non-alcoholic beverages are allowed in the park. However, alcohol beverages will be available at the Events Beer Gardens Tent. There will be all sorts of interesting foods for the crowds, too.

While there will be some bleacher seating, visitors may want to bring lawn chairs for seating due to a large crowd that is expected.

“People like Mike Arcentales, Bob Encarnacion and their planning committee have worked hard. We think this is going to be a real treat for Lehigh,” Whalen said.

“If you like Latin music and who doesn’t, then this is the place to be on April 30. There will a full afternoon and night of great music,” Whalen said.