Hispanic Heritage Month takes place from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15. The widespread designated celebration of Hispanic heritage started in 1968 with Representative Edward Roybal proposing legislation for Hispanic Heritage Week. Twenty years later, in 1988, the Regan administration expanded this into Hispanic Heritage Month. In South Florida, there are many events that are held to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month.
Miami Beach Salsa Fest
The seventh annual Miami Beach Salsa Festival is being held virtually on Oct. 3. The Miami Beach Salsa Festival is put on by South Florida Seniors in Action and the Miami Beach Cultural Arts Council. The purpose of this event is to promote and celebrate salsa music and the culture around it. The music featured is produced by Melina Almodovar and Almodovar Musica Productions. Almodovar and her orchestra will perform a live concert. If you are interested in attending this event or learning more information, visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/events/north-beach-bandshell/concierto-virtual-de-melina-almod%C3%B3var-miami-beach-virtual-salsa-festival/314602976442994/.
Calle Ocho Live
Calle Ocho Live is a Latin music and pop culture presentation put on by the Kiwanis Club of Little Havana. The Kiwanis Club of Little Havana, the organization that produces Carnaval Miami, is partnering with Altisimo Live, Retropop Media, Atlantino and Hispanicze for this event. The virtual show on Oct. 4 will feature top Latin music artists and influencers as well as stories from the family members of the Kiwanis group. The virtual show will feature artists Leslie Shaw, Jessi Uribe, Camilo and Gloria Estefan. If you are interested in attending this event or learning more information, you can visit https://calleocholive.com/.
Celebrate ORGULLO pride festival
Celebrate ORGULLO started 10 years ago and was the first Hispanic LGBTQ Pride festival in South Florida. This year will feature both online and in-person events, including art showcases, tours, music and more. This year’s theme for the Celebrate ORGULLO pride festival is UNITY in DIVERSITY. This theme will be featured throughout the art in the festival, both visually and through performances. The Celebrate ORGULLO pride festival will kick off on Oct. 1 from 7p.m. to 9p.m. with the UNITY in DIVERSITY Virtual Forum. This forum, according to ORGULLO’s list of events, is a “community forum and Q&A with expert panelists, discussing the effects of this pandemic, politics & social inequalities, and how we move on and reinvent our lives & interaction.” This festival is presented by the Unity Coalition and ends Oct. 15. For more information on the events from Celebrate ORGULLO or to get directions to the in-person events or links to the online events, checkout their website at https://www.celebrateorgullo.com/.
On campus, there are organizations that involve Hispanic culture, such as Spanish club and Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority. NSU’s Spanish club works to promote Hispanic culture and the Spanish language. Lambda Theta Alpha is the NSU chapter of the first Latin Sorority. Lambda Theta Alpha works to practice political, cultural and social activities to promote Latinx unity. If you are interested in either of these organizations, check them out on their SharkHub pages.
