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Retired Astronaut Jose Hernandez was on hand to encourage kids to take an interest in math and science.

"My parents only had a third-grade education, but they supported our education and because of that fact, they basically allowed me to dream to be whatever I wanted to be," he said.

The goal of the fair is to help Spanish speaking parents lead the way toward their children's educational future. For those parents, navigating the school system can be an overwhelming experience.

"If you don't know the system, if you're not from here, you may not know how to help your children be as successful academically as they can be," fair creator Sylvia Acevedo said.

For many kids, life with Spanish-only speaking parents comes with its own set of challenges.

"Since my parents didn't know English, it was very hard for them to even go with me to learn about anything because they would have to be asking me half of the time how to translate," student Marissa Doster said.

She said she has worked her way through school and is about to graduate from Texas State University San Marcos.

Acevedo said the event also inspires parents who may be struggling to learn English.

"We hear about people getting more involved in their child's education. We hear from teachers saying that parents that never were involved are now getting involved," she said.

Feria Para Aprender began in Austin in 2007. It has since spread to Los Angeles and the Dallas-Fort Worth area.