Waukegan Park District Celebrates National Hispanic Heritage Month

The Waukegan Park District is celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month with several programs and events, which started Sunday, Sept. 15, and will run through Tuesday, Oct. 15. The special programming will honor Latinos and their contributions to arts, culture, and history. The following programs will be offered during National Hispanic Heritage Month:

• Taste of Hispanic Heritage from 6-7:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 26, at the Belvidere Recreation Center.

• Family Lotería Night from 6-7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 27, at the Belvidere Recreation Center (Free)

• Family Lotería Night from 6-7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 4, at the Belvidere Recreation Center (Free)

• Sugar Skull Decorating Workshop from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Oct. 5, at the Jack Benny Center for the Arts (Free)

• Sugar Skull Decorating Workshop from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Oct. 12, at the Jack Benny Center for the Arts (Free)

According to the National Archives, National Hispanic Heritage Month began as "Hispanic Heritage Week" under President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1968 and expanded to “Hispanic Heritage Month” under President Ronald Reagan when it was enacted into law in 1988.

Sept. 15 is the start of Hispanic Heritage Month because it is the independence day for multiple Latin American countries, including Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. Mexico's independence day is on Sept. 16 and Chile's independence day is on Sept. 18.

More information about the Waukegan Park District’s special programming during National Hispanic Heritage Month is available at waukeganparks.org/herenciahispana.