The public is invited to a celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month which will be held on Saturday afternoon, Sep. 14, at Normal Park in Merrill, from Noon- 4 p.m. This year’s event will feature a “Food Fest”.
Delicious, authentic Hispanic foods from several Latin American countries will be available for sale from a variety of vendors, including tacos, chiles rellenos, picadas, chicharrones preparados, tostadas, pozole, papa rellena, and desserts. Artisans will be selling their handicrafts and other products, and traditional music provided by a DJ will be playing for all to enjoy. There will also be piñata.
Hispanic Heritage Month recognizes and pays tribute to the many achievements and contributions of Hispanic people to the United States. It began as a weeklong observance in 1968 when President Lyndon B. Johnson declared the week of September 15th as Hispanic Heritage Week. September 15th is the Independence Day of several countries including Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico celebrates its independence on September 16th and Chile on September 18th. Twenty years later, President Ronald Regan extended the observance to 30 days, proclaiming September 15th to October 15th as National Hispanic Heritage Month.
This local celebration of the rich culture and important contributions of the Hispanic community is being hosted by HAVEN, which offers bilingual Spanish-English advocacy for individuals and families who experience interpersonal abuse. Co-sponsor for the festival is United Healthcare, whose staff will have an informational booth at the event. Everyone is invited to come and enjoy the food, festivities, and fun.