Hispanic Heritage Month in the Fox Valley
Elgin organizations take the lead in celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month but churches, community organizations, schools and libraries across the Fox River Valley add programming to the mix.
Hispanic Heritage Month runs Sept. 15 - Oct. 15 and will be celebrated with events throughout the month.
One of the first events will be an information night or Noche Informativa held by Elgin's Centro de Información. The event will last from 6 to 8:30 p.m. today, Sept. 17, at Carpentersville Middle School, 100 Cleveland Ave.
Jaime García, executive director of Centro de Información, said the goal of the evening is to reach out to the Hispanic community and provide information about the services available to them. Legal, financial, health and family service representatives will be available to answer questions. And clowns, raffles, food and dancing will provide an atmosphere the entire family can enjoy. It will be an introduction to Centro's year-round offerings.
"We're working to educate the community and integrate them into American culture," said José Ares, coordinator of community resource and outreach services at Centro. "We're helping to break barriers."
Elgin Community College will also kick off Hispanic Heritage Month on Friday with a breakfast hosting motivational speaker Carlos Ojeda Jr. But the breakfast is only the beginning. ECC's Organization of Latin American Students has organized eight other events through September and October covering topics ranging from politics to pop culture.
OLAS has taken a larger role in the ECC Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations over the last five years, increasing the breadth and depth of programming, according to Gabe Lara, coordinator of student organizations and multicultural programming at ECC. This year the college will continue with the tradition.
"It's always important to celebrate different cultures," Lara said. "To celebrate this culture is to embrace the differences we have in this community."
A full schedule of events at ECC is available online at www.elgin.edu with the search term Latino Heritage Month.
Also in Elgin, Gail Borden Library has Hispanic Heritage month offerings. A steering committee of members of nine community organizations has been meeting since January to plan multiple events, most notably the Hispanic Heritage Family Festival.
The festival will take place from 2 to 5 p.m. Oct. 2 at the library.
"For people of Hispanic origin, it's great to come celebrate and see your culture represented," Viglucci said. "And for people of other cultures, you can learn. You get to appreciate and enjoy the music, the art and the different kinds of food."
Folkloric dances from Mexico, Bolivia and Colombia will complement salsa and merengue dance lessons as well as music performances with sounds of Spanish serenade, Andean folk and Mexican mariachi. The festival will also have booths with community information, food sampling and an exhibit from the West Chicago Museum called "Creating Mexican-American Identities."
Gail Borden will also host two events that require registration: the Make Your Own Piñata workshop from 6 to 8 p.m. Sept. 21 and 23 in the community rooms at the Gail Borden Library, at 270 N. Grove Ave., in Elgin, and Aztec Stories with Michael Heralda at 2:30 p.m. Sept. 26 in the same location. To register, call (847) 742-2411, visit www.gailborden.info or stop into the library.
More events for Hispanic Heritage MonthSergio's Cantina benefit: Fundraiser for PEACE (Protection, Education, Culture, Environment), a non-profit working to improve the quality of life in the Bay of Banderas, Mexico: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sept. 19 at Sergio's Cantina, 20 W. State St., Geneva. Dundee Township Public Library Pocket Circus: 7 p.m. Sept. 23 at the library, 555 Barrington Ave., East Dundee.Ballet Folkl#243;rico Huehuecoyotl performance Mexico: "Ayer y Hoy," 7:30 p.m. Sept. 25 at the Elgin Community College Arts Center, 1700 Spartan Drive, Elgin. For tickets, call (847) 622-0300. Centro de Informaci#243;n annual gala, Fiesta del Sol: 6 to 9 p.m. Oct. 2 at Villa Olivia Country Club, 1401 W. Lake St., Bartlett.Launch of a Spanish reading group: The first book will be "La Breve y Maravillosa Vida de Oscar Wao" by Junot D#237;az: 7 p.m. Oct. 14 at Gail Borden, 270 N. Grove Ave., Elgin.