By Rich Larson
Music, dancing, food and art will fill Central Park on Saturday as Northfield hosts its ninth annual Hispanic Heritage Celebration.
The free event is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 19, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Central Park, 421 Fourth Street East. The celebration coincides with the opening week of Hispanic Heritage Month and will bring together performers, artists, food vendors and community organizations from across the area.
Activities begin with Zumba at 9 a.m., while the main stage and other festivities get underway at 11.
This year’s theme is “Weaving Community,” or “Tejiendo Comunidad,” inspired by traditional Andean and Mesoamerican embroidery. Organizers said the theme represents individuals and families woven together into a larger community.
Orchestra La Clave will headline the main stage. The entertainment lineup also includes Ecuadorian dance group Away Runakuna, Aztec dance groups Kalpulli KetzalCoatlicue and Kalpulli Ollin Ayacaxtly, Andean duo Ina-Yukka and Northfield-based Latino choir Sabios Cantores. Capoeira Canavial will offer a demonstration of the Brazilian martial art that combines movement, music and dance.
Children’s activities will include free face painting, hummingbird decorating with Bike Alebrijes MN, STEAM experiments with St. Olaf STEMQuest and custom sign building with the Mobile Sign Shop. More than 30 craft vendors and community partners are also expected.
Food will be a major part of the celebration, with Mexican, Salvadoran, Colombian and Venezuelan dishes among the offerings. And for the first time, local home cooks will be invited to compete for the title of Best Tamales in Northfield.
Organizers are also working to make the celebration a zero-waste event. Food vendors have been asked to use compostable products, with recycling and compost containers available throughout the park.
Seating will be provided through Age-Friendly Northfield’s Red Chair Project. ASL interpretation will be available for speakers’ remarks, along with accessible restrooms.
The celebration is supported by the Northfield Public Library, Friends of the Library, the Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council and the City of Northfield.
More information, including registration for the tamale competition, is available through the Northfield Public Library website.
Rich Larson is the owner and General Manager of KYMN Radio. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
