Children were greeted by cartoon mascots such as SpongeBob SquarePants as they ran among the colorfully decorated tents featuring face painting and authentic Mexican candy.

Later they burned candy-fueled energy on playground swing sets while parents looked on.

At the Fiesta Communataria, held from noon to 8:30 p.m. Saturday at Conexion Comunidad, 637 N. 11th Street, about 50 people came together to eat, talk and listen to live Mariachis.

The festival was held in support of Latino Heritage Month and Mexican Independence day, Sept. 16.

Renowned Mexican-American artist Oscar Romero visited the fiesta from 2 to 4 p.m. to sign and pass out posters. Romero will hold an art exhibit featuring his symbolic artwork from Toltec, Mayan and Olmec roots Oct. 11 at the Nehring Center, 111 S. Second Street.

Sol Azteca, which began as a youth group, danced a traditional folkloric style. The mostly female group of over a dozen dancers, has been together for about a year.

Aside from other musical performances, the mariachi band Los Toritos traveled from Aurora to play personal requests.

“They were a’ight. I’ve seen better,” said Carlos Asencion, junior international business major.

Asencion is part of the Tau Phi Sigma fraternity that, with the help of Alpha Sigma Omega sorority, organized the food and events. The Greeks helped sell food from Taxco Restaurant in Sycamore, such as tacos, flautas, chicharrones, tamarindo and horchata. The Greeks also helped set up a dunk-tank, beanbag toss and about nine piñatas, said sorority member Janet Rodriguez.

Carla Raynor, family literacy coordinator at Kishwaukee Community College, held a tent at the festival along with other sponsors of Conexión Comunidad, such as Ben Gordon Mental Health Facility and Castle Bank which passed out Mexican candy, posters and other items.

KCC sponsors GED, ESL, ABE and ASE programs at the center and throughout the Sycamore/DeKalb school districts. These programs are designed to help foreign members of the community succeed in our society through knowledge and communication, Raynor said.

The Conexión Comunidad building has seen a number of significant upgrades.

Conexión Comunidad will finish a 2-year long computer room renovation project in the next two weeks. The new computer room in the basement of the center will be equipped with wireless DSL and five to ten computers to support ESL programs.

The center has made approximately $70,000 in renovations since the building was bought for over $200,000 in Oct. 2003 with the help of grants from Verizon and the DeKalb County Foundation.

A HUD grant has been crucial for water and venting repairs to the building, said Treasurer and founding officer Mark Caudillo.

President Anna Garcia said the center has taken donations in the past and rents its space for family or community purposes.

For donation or rental information, contact the center at 815-754-0980 or e-mail at [email protected].