If you ignored the luxury yachts in the harbour, bridges overhead and the fixed bicycles rolling by, you’d almost think you were spending the day in a seaside resort in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Such was the scene at a news conference for Vancouver's largest fiesta, Carnaval del Sol, at Provence Marinaside restaurant.

The afternoon promised to give us a “real taste of Latin America”, and it didn’t disappoint.

First up were an all-female mariachi band called Las Estrellas. The three-piece band sang songs that were distinctly from a woman’s point of view and said as much, noting that “usually mariachis are all men, and from a man’s point of view.”

The chairs were then rearranged for the next act, featuring two bedazzled female samba dancers. Sitting there, one wasn’t sure to smile or politely nod as the women impressively gyrated and shook for three songs straight.

A presentation about the festival, from organizers Paola V. Murillo and Natalia Parga followed, and the two spoke about the need to promote Latin American life and culture.

“This is our eighth year, and we are thinking big,” said Murillo, a Colombian native. “You are going to see things you’ve never seen before. We’re going to show the world that Latin America is here.”

Murillo noted that the event has grown greatly. After a crowd of just over 500 in 2010, she expects to see about 80,000 to 100,000 people during the festival at Concord Pacific Place on July 9 and 10.

The festival, which concludes Latin American Week, is preceded by a Latin American film night, an aboriginal art exhibition and a trova fest.

The festival itself will see many events, but perhaps none will be as hotly contested as a soccer game featuring the Latin consulates of Vancouver versus the City of Vancouver. Can Gregor Robertson do a better job of stopping the consulates’ strikers than he is of protecting the Burrard Inlet from tankers?

Latin American Week has already seen a team of 65 over the last eight months and will see another 800 volunteers in the coming week.

For a full list of activities, go here.