By Tanya Andrade

Columbia Road was hot this past weekend, and it wasn't just due to the 90-plus degree weather. At press time, it has yet to be determined whether the Italian ice was melting because of the weather or because of the fire-filled moves of dancers in the street.

The 11th annual Uphams Corner Festival held this past Saturday kicked off with an unexpected visit from Mayor Thomas Menino, who commended the Uphams Corner Main Street group for its initiative and perseverance, despite some setbacks that could well have postponed the festival indefinitely.

"One of the things that hurt us this year was the fact that because of the budget cuts, Uphams Corner Health Center did not work with us, and since they've worked with us every year, their people were missed," said Fernando Bossa, business recruitment specialist of the Uphams Corner Main Street group and festival coordinator. Bossa and others expressed disappointment with a turnout comparatively low to those in years past.

The festival in the past has been held in conjunction with the center's morning health fair in the Strand Theatre, which would draw in crowds with free general checkups and blood pressure screenings. But this year's smaller turnout did not curb the enthusiasm of those participating in the festival events.

Over 180 children received Polaroid photos of themselves riding ponies, and other games, raffles, and giveaways were part of the morning events. Free salsa lessons were provided by the Hips on Fire team in the Strand from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in preparation for one of the festival's main events&emdash;the salsa competition.

Teams of dancers took it to the street and showcased some of their hottest moves during the hour-long competition. The participants ranged in age and came from all over, including Woburn, Quincy, Boston, Puerto Rico, Cape Verde, and Spain. Four couples went home with trophies boasting the title of "Best Salsa Dancer."

"I'm happy that I won the trophy, and that I was able to come to the festival. I already knew how to dance salsa, but I learn even more by coming here, and I'm having a good time listening to the music and seeing all of the other things that are going on," said 14-year-old Nicole Jordan of Framingham.

But not winning a prize certainly did not put a damper in Hector Osorio's good time, as his dance moves were a source of entertainment for many in the crowd, including himself.

"I heard the salsa, and I came down, because I love salsa," said Osorio, who is originally from Puerto Rico and now lives in South Boston.

"I dance all day, and I love it. The music moves my feet, and I can't stop, and the festival is nice because it brings a lot of people together from different places to all have a nice time and listen to good music and dance," said Osorio.

At the end of the salsa competition, Rodney Black, owner of African Roots located in the Strand, passed out hand-carved elephants to many at the festival as a symbol of friendship, unity, and good wishes.

"We're dealing with the root of Africa and the ancestors that fell off the roots&emdash;your Jamaicans, your Cabo Verdeans, your Boricuas&emdash;all of them have African roots, and if we get everyone to understand that, then we can be together as one, like the festival has done today," said Black, who is originally from Gambia and has lived in Dorchester for 32 years.

With Cape Verdean, Dominican, Haitian, and Puerto Rican flags being waved by many at the festival, the fusion of cultures that thrives in Uphams Corner was permitted by the sunny weather to continue outdoors, much to the relief of Bossa.

"Everything just seemed to come in order … although we would have liked to see more come out, and do like Miami does, 'calle ocho' style, those that are here are having a great time and really enjoying themselves, and the weather held up, which we were really worried about," said Bossa.

Merengue and Cape Verdean music were also a highlight of the festival, with the Radhy Montero Orchestra outside from 2-3 p.m. sizzling up merengue beats and Cape Verdean band Zerui in the Strand for another free concert that drew in a nice crowd as the festival came to its end.

"This is the second year that we ran events previously during the week to showcase our various entertainment venues in the area," said Hal Cohen, president of Upham's Corner Main Street.

"We had dancing at the Dublin House, and a very nice poetry session at the Midnight Terrace with a steel drum band, along with the luncheon held by St. Mary's," said Cohen. "We were going to have a big Cape Verdean party on Friday night too, but some complications came up with the venue at the last minute. But the support of the vendors in the Strand and on the streets has been tremendous, and we thank them for that. And hopefully with the mayor's backing, the festival will be even more successful next year."