YOUNGSTOWN — The familiar Youngstown sign in Wean Foundation Park looked a little different Saturday.

On top of the large white letters spelling out the city’s name was another set of letters that spelled HOLA as the city’s first HOLA Fest took place downtown.

Spectators lined Front Street for a parade at noon, and then the crowd flowed into the park, which was filled with food and other vendors, informational booths and two stages hosting a pageant and live entertainment until 9 p.m.

Among the visitors who took photos in front of sign were members of East High School’s baseball team, who also marched in the parade.

“I knew we had to represent Puerto Rico,” said head coach Elvis Colon. “Most of the players on the team are Hispanic. I got the invite, and I’m here. This is something special for the entire Hispanic community.”

In addition to established area restaurants and food trucks, organizers worked with some home cooks to get the permits needed to have food stands at the event.

One of those was Tequenyoh, which was serving the Venezuelan favorite tequeno, a flaky pastry wrapped around either cheese or chocolate and deep fried.

“If you want something salty, you have the cheese; if you want something sweet, you have the chocolate,” said Stephany Rodriguez, who was working at the stand with her mother and stepfather. “Every event in Venezuela has tequenos. If you have a wedding and you don’t have tequenos, it’s a lame wedding.”

The family moved to Youngstown from Florida after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now Youngstown feels more like home than Florida.

“Everyone has been really nice and welcoming,” Rodriguez said.

The family already has opened a balloon store, and she said they would like to continue serving food and expanding the menu to include other Venezuelan delicacies, such as arepas.

Milena Hardy of Youngstown started Milena’s Sweets and Savory Treats about two years ago, but she operates the business out of her home.

“For businesses like mine, there is no storefront, there is no traffic,” she said. “Events like this definitely benefit small businesses like mine.”

Hardy’s mother is Mexican, and along with the baked goods she normally sells, she added a tres leches cake in a jar and a churro chips and dip to the menu.

There was a little playful competition between some of the different cultures. At a booth for Dr. Sharon L. George of Warren, they were serving samples of both Panamanian rice and Puerto Rican rice and encouraging attendees to pick their favorite.

Even Dominic Conliffe of Girard, who was scooping portions of the Panamanian rice, had a hard time picking.

“Both rices are very good,” he said.

agray@tribtoday.com