Mariagabriela Gracia y Darwin Silva
Do you want to know how to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month in Philadelphia? At JefeBet we have selected 5 activities that we know will make you enjoy your roots and go from party to party with your family and friends. Because even though pride in our Latino ancestry is in our hearts every day, this month cannot go under the table.
How to Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month in Philadelphia, and Enjoy ‘De Lo Lindo’
Latinos, Hispanics and Chicanos feel proud of our roots every day. We always have that characteristic spark of our culture, the humor, the cadence, the seasoning, the color and the rhythm that are our “factory” seal. And these events are full of it. Check them out!
1. If you want to go to your Latin roots you have to ride ‘La Guagua 47’ (premiere and fiesta)
La Guagua 47 is the name of a very special short film that was developed as an exciting community project that tugs at the heartstrings of ‘Latino-ness’ in Philadelphia. The short film unfolds through the story of a young migrant who is alone in the city and misses his customs and family to death.
In the search for others of Latino descent like him, he discovers this fantastic ‘guagua’ that takes him to the heart of the ‘Barrio’, which feels like home, a place where he belongs.
This vehicle is the iconic SEPTA #47 bus, a historic transportation route that connects the seemingly disparate Latino communities across the city.
This film is a beautiful work in which community members and artists have participated. They have left the Latin heart in every part of it!
This work explores the significance of the Latino communities in Philadelphia through the integral role of public transportation for migrants, the socio-economically disadvantaged, and populations deemed ‘other’.
Magical realism is present in this work, a legacy left to us by greats such as our own Gabriel García Márquez. Therefore, both artists and community participants reinvent La Guagua as a mystical portal, creating connections to their “latinidad,” connections to each other and to a prosperous future.
La Guagua 47’s premiere and fiesta is on September 15, 2022. The appointment is at 5:00 pm. at the Kimmel Cultural Center’s Perelman Theater, located at 300 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102.
The movie screening is free and starts at 6:00 p.m. but the party starts earlier with the pre-meeting at 5:00 p.m. and continues afterwards with live Latin music, food and beverage sales, and a sensational atmosphere. You have to go!
If you didn’t know how to celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month in Philadelphia, this is the best way to start!
For more information click here.
2. ‘Dine latino’ to celebrate with full flavor
In Philly, the Latin flavor is very much alive (and how could it not be if the Latin flavor is so good!). That’s why they came up with something cool called Dine Latino Restaurant Week.
This edition of Dine Latino is very special because it will be September 19-23, to help you who love Latin food, and don’t know how to celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month in Philadelphia by tasting everything you love, and discovering new flavors.
It is a promotional campaign that seeks to increase revenue for Latino-owned restaurants by promoting the availability of indoor and outdoor dining.
Dine Latino celebrates the diversity of our community’s gastronomic flavors, as well as the resilience of Latino-owned and operated restaurants in Greater Philadelphia.
In addition to supporting Philly’s Latino restaurant community, it’s a sweet deal because when you buy two tickets for dinner, you get a free appetizer or dessert. You can’t miss this!
If you want to have all the info click here.
3. Celebrate at the Mexican Independence Day Festival in Philadelphia
This is going to be great! As you know, Mexico’s Independence Day is on September 16. But the celebration we are inviting you to, which is Philly’s Mexican Independence Day Festival, is on September 18.
It all starts with the incredible musical atmosphere, which will set the mood for dancing and singing with the bands El Retoño and La Prendida. Let’s enjoy it!
But that’s not all. You can also enjoy the prodigious voice of tenor Alex Moreno, listen to the best rancheras with Pedro Villaseñor’s mariachi and see the colorful performance of the Yaretzi folkloric ballet. Isn’t it going to be cool?
You will also be able to take your souvenirs with you because there will be craft vendors, stands where you can taste the delicious Mexican food, which, by the way, is the intangible heritage of humanity, and you will have a children’s area for the little ones to have a great time too. What more could you ask for?
Fireworks? I got them for you! At the end of the event, there will be a fireworks show that you won’t want to miss.
Remember that the Mexican Independence Day Festival in Philadelphia is on Sunday, September 18, from 2:00 pm. to 8:00 pm. at Great Plaza in Penn’s Landing.
To the shout of ¡Viva México! Now you know how to celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month in Philadelphia.
4. Celebrate ‘boricua style’ at the Puerto Rican Day Parade in Philly
This celebration is one of the oldest and most anticipated for those who know how to celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month in Philadelphia Boricua style. It is a parade in the heart of the streets of the city in which more than 1,500 people participate demonstrating their pride in being Puerto Ricans, being Latinos or simply supporting our culture and all that it represents.
This year’s theme is “The Puerto Rican Dreamers”. And in previous events the themes have been diverse, always highlighting the values and culture of the ‘Isla del Encanto’, such as: The Rebirth of Puerto Rico (2018), The Rhythm of Our Culture (2017), Our Taino Heritage (2010).
This celebration includes music, of course, there will be no shortage of traditional Latin music to set the mood vibrant all day long.
“Over the years, we have provided the fresh rhythms and melodious harmonies of mariachis, salsa, merengue, bachata, samba, cumbia and flamenco, and each year attendees can savor dozens of traditional dishes available at our food booths.”
El Concilio
The event is organized by The Council of Spanish Speaking Organizations, Inc. (Concilio) the oldest Latino organization in Philadelphia. It will also be broadcast live to nearly 100,000 people on 6ABC.
Of course, there will be plenty of delicious food with a Latin flavor!
The Puerto Rican Day Parade in Philly is on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway on Sunday, September 25, from noon to about 3:00 pm. Don’t miss it!
5. Feria del Barrio 2022 in Philadelphia
This is a lively celebration with a deep sense of community. Feria del Barrio 2022 teaches you how to celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month in Philadelphia in “El Centro de Oro,” which is the historic “barrio” recognized as the center of the Latino cultural movement in Philly.
This fair takes over the streets and sidewalks of the neighborhood and turns them into a celebration of the arts, education and Latino culture. This Feria del Barrio 2022 is the 38th in a row (they even made it virtual in 2020) and is organized by Taller Puertorriqueño.
The fair is presented and produced by Taller Puertorriqueño in association with the Association of Puerto Ricans on the Move (APM), Congreso de Latino Unidos, HACE, Raíces Culturales Latinoamericanas and TV Media Support from NBC10/Telemundo62 and La Mega Nation.
This fair is for the whole family. There will be music, of course, many artisans and craftsmen, local vendors of gastronomic products made with the Latin flavor, plus a very fun area for children, with lots of activities to have a great time and celebrate our Latin identity.
Who are you going with for the 2022 Feria del Barrio in Philadelphia?
We hope these options will help you know how to celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month in Philadelphia, to enjoy our culture, our flavor and our rhythm. Latinos pa’ encima!
