Grammy nominees performing at Fiesta de Luces

The City of Lights will celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month today by hosting the third annual Fiesta de Luces, or Festival of Lights.

The fiesta, hosted by the Aurora Hispanic Heritage Advisory Board, runs 2 to 7:30 p.m. at the Aurora Transportation Center's Spring Street and Lincoln Avenue parking lot.

The Grammy Award-nominated Angel Melendez & the 911 Mambo Orchestra will headline the event with performances at 5:30 and 6:40 p.m. Melendez and his orchestra have performed in the Millennium Park Jazz Series, the Taste of Chicago, the Old Town Folk & Roots Festival, and the Puerto Rican Festival.

The Fiesta de Luces is a musical celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, which includes the Festivals of Independence from Spain by Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and Nicaragua, board Chairwoman Cynthia Hernandez said.

"The goal of the heritage board is to promote education about and instill pride in our Hispanic heritage," she said. "We want to be sure to honor all of our different heritages and include everyone in our festivities."

The festival will begin at 2 p.m. with the "Star Spangled Banner" sung by 2004 Aurora Idol winner Alex Bennefield.

Joining the traditional music, arts and crafts this year will be a new professional salsa competition in which professional dancers can compete for prizes.

"Everyone's favorite part is the Parade of Nations," Hernandez said. "People line up to see the colorful clothing and dress."

The parade begins at 2:45 p.m. with 21 children wearing traditional costumes of the represented Latin nations.

A Wall of Memories will display photos of the first Hispanic settlers of Aurora in the 1920s. The National Museum of Mexican Art will facilitate the creation of alebrijes, or paper-mache animals, and painter Juan Flores will create murals throughout the day.

Hernandez said the festival is also the Hispanic Heritage Advisory Board's largest fundraiser, allowing the group to provide as many as 11 scholarships to high school seniors from Aurora.

"Every year the celebration gets bigger and better, allowing us to help more students," she said. "We want more than 5,000 people out there."

p class="News">If you go

What: Fiesta de Luces, a celebration for Hispanic Heritage Month

When: 2 to 7:30 p.m. today

Where: Aurora Transportation Center parking lot, Spring Street and Lincoln Avenue

Cost: Free

Info: (630) 844-4731