While New Iberia is known for its great food, music, and the Sugar Festival, Peltier said that history helped create the New Iberia Spanish Festival.

NEW IBERIA, La. (KLFY)-- The New Iberia Spanish Festival started a decade ago, and has grown every year since. News 10 found out why the festival is so important to the Spanish culture in the city.

"A lot of people think New Iberia was founded by the French because we are an Acadian kind of area, but in actuality New Iberia was founded by the Spanish," Chacelyn Peltier, the New Iberia Spanish Festival Teen Queen, said.

New Iberia was founded by Francisco Bouligny and 60 settlers from Spain in 1779. While New Iberia is known for its great food, music, and the Sugar Festival, Peltier said that history helped create the New Iberia Spanish Festival.

"In 2012 they decided that they wanted to do something to kind of emulate that and bring back the culture, it's our 10th year and we're really excited to keep that going," Peltier said.

Ana Santiago is originally from Colombia in South America. She has lived in Lafayette for 11 years, and said the festival is an opportunity for the upcoming generation to learn more about their roots.

"New Iberia has that culture from a long time ago, years ago from Spain, like us, in Columbia, we have Spanish culture too, and its very nice to know and the new generation will know about where we come from," Santiago said.

Vice President of the New Iberia Spanish Festival, Lolo Greig, said she believes all their hard work to put on the festival will pay off.

"It's our 10th anniversary, so it's very special to us," Greig said. "They worked so hard, and I think its going to show."

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