Puerto Rican Festival gives Latino businesses a chance to grow

Posted at: 07/22/2012 11:19 PM | Updated at: 07/22/2012 11:40 PM
By: Joangel Concepcion | WHEC.com

The disorder that tends to follow the Puerto Rican Festival is a completely different picture from what is available during the festival. People from across the area were enjoying music, food, and each other's company at Frontier Field. The festival offered individuals from several different countries and races a chance to learn and experience aspects of Puerto Rican culture.

One local business used the festival as an opportunity to dig deeper into the community. Alvin Montalvo launched Imagen, an all-Spanish magazine, almost a year ago. Since the launch, Imagen has helped boost several Latino businesses throughout the area. It also features several articles that affect Latinos everywhere. This is what Montalvo says was his main goal.

"To help community to be more productive," says Montalvo of his aspiration for the magazine. "To help the community and businesses around Rochester."

Vendors also got a nice boost from the festival. This weekend, thousands embraced the different items, and differences within each other.

"I think it's good that we get to share it with everyone else," says Montalvo. "And that everyone enjoys it."

Montalvo says it is not just small business advertising in his magazine. He says larger businesses, like Wegmans will begin advertising in the magazine starting next month. Something, Montalvo says, means our Latino community is growing.

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