CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The co-founder of the Hispanic Heritage Festival of the Carolinas is sharing more about why the festival has been canceled for 2025.

Organizers announced the cancellation recently, citing the current immigration climate and concerns about deportations. Rick Hererra, co-founder of the event, spoke to WCNC Charlotte about the cancellation.

"It was a tough call for us to make, but it's the right call to make, considering all the immigration temperature, what's going on right now, things are not looking too well for our community," Hererra said.

Hererra added they typically host the event in a large venue with the capacity for roughly 10,000 people.

"We could be targeted in a large mass gathering, so we felt that it would be more responsible for us at this moment just to

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