Monique N. Michel-Duarte, owner of Ballet Folklorico Mexico Lindo, dances with her team at the Farmworker Appreciation Day, Sunday, Aug. 25. (The Enterprise/Isabella Garcia)
ONTARIO — Lions Park was enlivened Sunday afternoon with music, dancing and plenty of food. The free event, organized by the Oregon Human Development Corp., celebrated local farmworkers in line with National Farmworker Appreciation Day, which takes place Aug. 6 every year.
There were an estimated 4,567 migrant and seasonal farmworkers in Malheur County – the seventh highest in the state – in 2018, according to data from Oregon State University. From 2 p.m. to 8 p.m., the community showed up to celebrate those workers who are essential to the local agriculture industry.
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A crowd at the Farmworker Appreciation Day on Sunday, Aug. 25, stops to watch the Ballet Folklórico Mexico Lindo dancers. (The Enterprise/Isabella Garcia)
A Ballet Folklórico Mexico Lindo dancer dances with two swords, tapping the metal around his body to the beat. (The Enterprise/Isabella Garcia)
A Ballet Folklórico Mexico Lindo dancers prepares her next steps. (The Enterprise/Isabella Garcia)
The grill masters cook up hot dogs and steaks for the masses at the Farmworker Appreciation Day in Lions Park Sunday, Aug. 25. (The Enterprise/Isabella Garcia)
A volunteer poses with one of the steaks he’s cooking for the event attendees. (The Enterprise/Isabella Garcia)
A young attendee tries to toss the newspaper into a bucket to win a prize at the Malheur Enterprise booth. (The Enterprise/Isabella Garcia)
Attendees of the Farmworker Appreciation Day, Sunday, Aug. 25, compete to see who can sit on and pop the most balloons in 30 seconds. (The Enterprise/Isabella Garcia)
A young attendee tries to catch a ball in a basket to win a prize. (The Enterprise/Isabella Garcia)
Kids eagerly wait for their balloon animals from the Oregon Law Center booth. (The Enterprise/Isabella Garcia)
Have a news tip? Reporter Isabella Garcia: [email protected] or 541-473-3377.
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