Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month at these North Jersey exhibits, concerts & other events
It may seem unusual for National Hispanic Heritage Month to start on Sept. 15 rather than the first of the month.
But the date makes sense once you understand that several nations that are the birthplaces of Hispanic Americans celebrate their days of independence around mid-September: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua on Sept. 15; Mexico on Sept. 16; Chile on Sept. 18; and Belize on the 21st.
The four-week period honoring the contributions and influence of Hispanic Americans, which runs until Oct. 15, will be marked by various events in North Jersey, ranging from food tastings to art exhibitions. According to the U.S. census, 22% of New Jersey's population is Hispanic or Latino. Hispanic refers to people whose ancestry stems from Spain and other Latin American, Spanish-speaking countries. Latino refers to people from Latin American countries once colonies of Spain and Portugal.
Most of the following events listed are free and open to the public unless indicated otherwise.
Bergen County
A Hispanic Heritage Celebration will take place at La Taberna Steak & Tapas Bar, 31 West Madison Ave. in Dumont, on Sept. 15 at 6 p.m. There will be dance lessons, live DJ music, domino tables and a cash bar. The event will also collect rice, beans, tomato paste and olive oil for the Dumont Food Pantry.
The Johnson Public Library, 274 Main St. in Hackensack, will host a Hispanic Heritage Fiesta on Sept. 30 from 2 to 3 p.m. There will be food, music and dancing along with the opportunity to earn about different Hispanic and Latino cultures.
The Calpulli Mexican Dance Company will perform at the Berrie Center For The Arts, 505 Ramapo Valley Road in Mahwah, on Oct. 7 from 8 to 9:30 p.m. The performance will celebrate the Mexican states of Nayarit, Veracruz and Jalisco.
Essex County
The Montclair Public Library, in partnership with Latinos of Montclair, will celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with programs for teens and adults. A full listing of the events can be found on the library website. Registration is required at montclairlibrary.org/events unless otherwise noted. Here are some of the events:
Masks of the Americas Workshop (ages 6 and older), on Sept. 16 at noon or 1:30 p.m., Main Library, 50 South Fullerton Ave., and Oct. 7 at 3 p.m., Bellevue Avenue Branch, 185 Bellevue Ave.
Folk Music of Colombia (all ages), Sept. 16 at 4:30 p.m., Main Library (Plaza).
The Post-Castro Era, Pandemic, and a New Cold War? Prospects for a Rapidly Changing Caribbean, on Sept. 19 at 6:30 p.m., Main Library.
La Placita: Latine Music & Poetry Showcase, on Sept. 21 at 6:30 p.m., Main Library (Plaza).
A Window to Andean Traditions: Panpipe Workshop, on Sept. 27 at 5:30 p.m., Main Library.
Evening Showcase of Peruvian Music and Dance, on Oct. 9 at 6:30 p.m., Main Library.
Broken Promises: Puerto Ricans and Urban Development in Mid-20th Century New York, on Oct. 10 at 6:30 p.m., Main Library.
The Newark Museum of Art, 49 Washington St., will open its doors for Community Day: Fiesta Latina, on Sept. 16 from noon to 5 p.m. The public will get to enjoy Mexican, Ecuadorian, Puerto Rican and other music.
Morris County
County College of Morris, at 214 Center Grove Road in Randolph, will mark Hispanic Heritage Month with several events.
An exhibition of local Latino artists was set to begin Sept. 15 with a reception at 7 p.m. at the Art Gallery in the college's Learning Resource Center.
On September 30, "¡AQUÍ ESTAMOS! — WE ARE HERE!" featuring a vendor showcase of the arts at 6 p.m. in the Student Community Center, and a live performance at 7:30 p.m. in the Dragonetti Auditorium. Tickets are $20 for the community and $10 for CCM students, staff and faculty. Proceeds from this event support CCM’s Dover College Promise program. To secure a spot, go to https://bit.ly/3S1JzT7. For more information call 201-400-6587.
On Oct. 3, mental health professionals share their personal journeys, strategies for success and current mental health trends, with a focus on young adults, at an event on campus at 12:30 p.m. in Sheffield Hall, Room 100.
A screening of the film "Frida," featuring Salma Hayek, on Oct. 6 at 7:30 p.m. in the Dragonetti Auditorium, followed by a discussion of Kahlo’s artistic contributions.
Every Tuesday at noon from Sept. 19 to Oct. 10, the college's Virtual Campus will celebrate Latinx and Latino/a culture online.
Passaic County
On Friday, Paterson city leaders and members of the city's Hispanic community were to celebrate the commencement of Hispanic Heritage Month with the raising of the Mexican Flag at 11 a.m. at City Hall, 155 Market St. The ceremony was also to feature mariachi music, culinary offerings and a spotlight on the city's Mexico Boulevard.
On Sept. 28, Berkeley College in Woodland Park will host “Comunidad, Educación, y Cultura.” The event, organized by Dellas Management, will feature a panel of leaders in the fields of media and education who will share their knowledge, experiences and cultural heritage. It will conclude with a spoken-word performance by Endurance Productions. The free event is scheduled for 2 to 4 p.m. in the Berkeley College Atrium Renaissance Hall, 44 Rifle Camp Road. It's open to members of the community, chambers of commerce, faculty, staff and students, the college said. To register, visit bit.ly/CECBuildingBridges.
The Hispanic Heritage Month Carnival will be held in Main Memorial Park, 1395 Main Ave. in Clifton, from Sept. 21 to 24. The hours on Thursday and Friday are 4 to 10 p.m. and on Saturday and Sunday are 6 to 10 p.m. The carnival, hosted by the Latino Leaders of Clifton, will feature food, music, games and live performances.
A Hispanic Heritage Celebration will be held in Hawthorne on Oct. 8 from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Boro Bandshell, 122 Elberon Ave. The event will feature live entertainment and food vendors.
Wayne Public Library's jazz concert series will celebrate with a performance by Latin jazz band Cubano Be, Cubano Bop on Oct. 12 from 7 to 8:30 pm. Registration is limited to 50 people.
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Jersey City
New Jersey City University in Jersey City will present a two-gallery exhibition, "Artistas de Latinoamérica Sueños y Posibilidades (Latin American Artists: Dreams and Possibilities)," featuring the works of 20 emerging and established artists.
The exhibition will run through Nov. 15 and will be held at the Harold B. Lemmerman Gallery, in Hepburn Hall, Room 323, at 2039 Kennedy Blvd., and the Visual Arts Building Gallery, on the lower level of 100 Culver Ave. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and by appointment at other times by contacting gallery@njcu.edu or @njcugalleries on Instagram. Both galleries will be open on Saturday, Oct. 14, from noon to 6 p.m. for the Jersey City Artist Studio Tour.
The exhibition will be accompanied by a panel discussion, "Latin American Art and Politics," on Sept. 26 from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Visual Arts Building Auditorium (also accessible via Zoom). For further information, see the NJCU Galleries webpage.
Ricardo Kaulessar covers race, immigration, and culture for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
Email: kaulessar@northjersey.com
Twitter: @ricardokaul
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NJ Hispanic Heritage Month 2023: events, listings and hours
