Vote for Art

Black background disco ball at the top right. Man in a white disco suit, right arm raised. The text is yellow. The V in the word Vote is a checkmark.

The Oxnard Salsa Festival is an annual event held in the beachside town of Oxnard, California. Regularly hosted in the summer, the festival serves spicy food and even has a salsa tasting tent. Local bands are also participants of the event and help set up a fun atmosphere for all ages with their upbeat music. Dancing is a popular activity enjoyed at the festival as well. Sponsors of the Oxnard Salsa Festival include McDonald’s, Mission, and Bud Light.

One of the featured events carried out at the Oxnard Salsa Festival is Dancing with Our Community Stars, which entails prominent Oxnard residents pairing up with a professional dancer to perform their salsa moves on stage. In 2010, Art Chaparro—the Director of Development at Aspiranet—signed up for the competition and was partnered with salsa instructor Kelly Richardson. Together, the two danced to raise money and awareness for Ventura County foster children programs. In the end, the couple who is able to secure the greatest amount of donations for their chosen charity is declared the winner of Dancing with Our Community Stars. Between 2007 and 2010, the event managed to raise more than $115,000 for local organizations.