Red white and blue, Spanish dialects and gold teeth were abundant everywhere you looked in Prospect Park from August 12-13th. The 7th Annual Panamanian Festival was on and Panamanians were present to celebrate. Some of the older men were dressed up in their nice suits,
with nice shoes, and white slacks with razor-sharp creases, not to mention the fendora hats. Too smooth papi, too smooth.

There was enough food to go around for everyone. Mostly Spanish dishes, such as arroz con pollo(Rice with chicken) Tamales, Souse, and Ojaldas. ¡Muy delicioso cuisine for everyone to enjoy! The atmosphere of the festival was wonderful from beginning to end. At the entrance to the park there were vendors selling red, white and blue balloons for the kids, face painters and airbrushers. The inside provided more merchandise, such as flags, hats, and dresses for the women.

A band played live spanish music for their large audience. You had to move to the groove to keep up with the old timers, or else you would be left behind! There was also a playground and water fountain for the children to enjoy themselves even more. The elders would sit on the bench and sip their maltas while they talked on old times.
Adolescents were also everywhere and getting lost in the moment. The young girls, oozing with beauty, were constantly provoking the chase from the boys. Some even got together, and engaged in dancing, others just sat and talked. Maybe sparking the next generation of Panamanians for the future.

Even If you had never been to Panama in your life, this was still something that you could enjoy. Even if you weren't Panamanian at all, it was still time well spent. There were many different types of food, and the music and social activity was so live that anyone could've had a good story to tell for the day after.
On the 12th and 13th days of August in 2006, Panama lived, and the heartbeat was so vibrant that it could be heard in the lowest portion of Central America.