¡VIVA! Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month in the Bay Area

¡VIVA! Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month in the Bay Area

Chile, mole, pozole! The celebration of Hispanic Heritage month begins on September 15 when several Central American countries celebrate independence day. While food is a common fabric that unites people across cultures, it’s important to recognize why Hispanic heritage is celebrated: to recognize the contributions of Hispanics and Latinx people to American history both past and current. The following events and activities will help get your family ready to celebrate—¡Saludos!


photo: Brookfield Zoo

GO

Chile, Mole, Pozole
The celebration of Mexican Independence Day will bring about dancing, art and of course… chile, mole and pozole from unique family recipes! 
Sun., Sep. 12  Event details

Watsonville Film Festival: Celebrando La Cultura
A virtual documentary screening Wednesday through Saturday will present a three-part arts celebration honoring Pajaro Valley area farmworkers and the Mexican Americans who call the region home. On Friday, renowned Mexican American music group Los Cenzontles or “The Mockingbirds” will join Watsonville-based Estrellas de Esperanza, a youth folkloric group and traditional Mexican music group, at the Watsonville City Plaza for a free concert at 6 p.m.
Wed.-Fri., Sept 15-17 Event details 

Festival of Bands
This all-day event features multiple bands: Banda Los Sebastianes, Banda Machos, Banda Maguey, La Autentica de Jerez, La Incontenible Astilleros and Banda Troyana.
Sun., Sep. 19 Event details

Hispanic Heritage Hike
Explore the Sierra Vista Open space, visit booths and enjoy tacos at this 2nd Annual Hispanic Heritage celebration.
Sat., Sep. 25 Event details

Viva Calle SJ
Miles of San Jose streets will be closed off for biking, skating and walking. Visit La Plaza for refreshments, family activities and a rest before continuing on your bike ride!
Sat., Sep. 25 Event details 

Musical Fiesta with Mariachi San Francisco
Celebrate Latinx/Hispanic Heritage Month with a performance by Mariachi San Francisco. Learn about mariachi music, various instruments, the songs and the traditional costumes. Historically, mariachi ensembles were made up of all male musicians, but Mariachi San Francisco is a unique 10-piece ensemble composed of male and female musicians.
Sat., Sep. 25 Event details 

Latinx Engineering Day at the Exploratorium
Leading Latino engineers from the community will present on the Hispanic legacy on science and engineering while engaging kids in fun, interactive activities. 
Sun., Sep. 26 Event details

Latinx/Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration at Montalvo Arts Center
Join Bay Area artist Hector Dionicio Mendoza for an evening celebrating Latinx and Hispanic Heritage Month. Live music, delicious food, workshops and piñata games bring the community together in a celebration of culture and heritage.
Thurs., Sep. 30 Event details

Mosaic Festival
Join in a celebration of our mosaic of American cultures at this inaugural festival held at La Plaza. Enjoy performances by local artists and discover cultures through food in an eclectic curation of food trucks and small business vendors.
Sat., Oct. 2 Event details 

photo: Nella DuBon-Koch

Virtual

Fiesta De Independencia Virtual
Join in this virtual independence day festival and celebration! 
Sun., Sept. 12 Event details

Sea Mar Fiesta Patrias
Commemorating the independence of several Latin countries, this virtual celebration celebrates history while also taking pride in current day Latinos in the United States.
Sat., Sep. 19  Event details

Celebrate Latinx Heritage Month with Bilingual Family Story Time
Join Oakland’s children librarians in a bilingual Spanish story time. Enjoy songs, rhymes and read-alouds LIVE in a Zoom room highlighting books created by and about Spanish speaking communities.
Sat., Sep. 25  Event details

photo: National Museum of Mexican Art

Do

•Free Hispanic Heritage month coloring pages 

•Create a Mexican folk art painting 

•Día de los Muertos activities and video (grades 1-5) 

•Learn about Hispanic History in the Americas in this interactive map

•Easy-to-Make Fiesta Favorites (3rd grade +)

Read

Sonia Sotomayer: A Judge Grows Up in the Bronx
Rising from poverty and prejudice, this is the story of a little girl who ultimately took a seat in the U.S. Supreme court.
Recommended ages: 4-8

Arrorro, Mi Nino
A beloved collection of traditional Latino baby lullabies and games from fourteen Spanish-speaking countries will delight your littles (and hopefully lull them to sleep!).
Recommended ages: 0-3 

Be Bold! Be Brave!
Young readers will follow the success of eleven successful Latinas who have trailblazed their way into American history.
Recommended ages: 4-8

Portraits of Hispanic American Heroes
This book looks at the inspiring lives of twenty Hispanic and Latino men and women and their achievements in the arts, music, athletics, politics and humanitarianism. 
Recommended ages: 6 & up

Hungry for more books? Check out The Ultimate Guide to Spanish Kids Books

Listen

Spanish lullabies and folk songs

Spanish Family Songs

World Cafe Hispanic Heritage Playlist

Watch

Pachamama (PG, on Netflix)
This beautifully animated film is about a young boy living in a remote village in Peru who takes it upon himself to rescue a cherished relic and goes on a dangerous journey to the capital Incan city of Cusco.

McFarland, USA (PG, on Prime Video)
A cross country coach and his team in California explore cultural tensions in a predominantly Latino and agricultural community on their way to becoming one of the country’s best teams.

Kronk’s New Groove (G, on Disney+ and Prime Video)
Kronk tries desperately to impress his dad only to realize that he must forge his own way.

—Christine Lai

featured photo: Ballet Hispanico

RELATED ARTICLES:

Easy Ways Parents Can Raise Their Kids to Be Bilingual in English & Spanish

5 Screen-Free Ways for Kids to Practice Spanish

27 Books That Feature Diverse Characters 

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