INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Historical Society is kicking off the first two weeks of Hispanic Heritage Month with a full schedule of events and programs that celebrate Latino history and culture in Indiana and the Midwest.
IHS will host first annual Hoosier Latino Celebration Sept. 16-30 at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center, at 450 West Ohio Street in downtown Indianapolis.
Visitors can enjoy music, art, food and educational activities that celebrate Latino influence in Indiana.
The centerpiece of the celebration will be a new installation by Justin Favela, a mixed-media artist known for large-scale installations and sculptures, which will hang from the ceiling in Eli Lilly Hall throughout the run of the festival. The exhibit will be open during regular operating hours.
On Tuesdays and Saturdays throughout the run of the Hoosier Latino Celebration, additional programming called “Heritage Days and Nights” will provide further opportunities for visitors of all ages to connect with Latino history and culture. Visitors can participate in hands-on art activities, as well as lectures, discussions and book talks. There will also be local performers highlighting music from various Latino nationalities.
Heritage Days and Nights take place on the dates listed below:
Heritage Day: Saturday, Sept. 16 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- 11 a.m. – Performance by traditional Peruvian flutist Carlos Torres
- 1:30 p.m. – Performance by Alboroto on the Stardust Café Terrace, weather permitting
- 2:30 p.m. – The Lost Barrio – Lecture by Nicole Martinez-LeGrand
Heritage Night: Tuesday, Sept. 19 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
- 5:30 p.m. – Performance by Latin rock band Alboroto
- 6:30 p.m. – Young Latino Leaders – Panel discussion with Bernice Tenorio, Fabio Yacato, Guadalupe Pedraza and Marcos Navarro-Garcia and moderated by Elise Shrock
Heritage Day: Saturday, Sept. 23 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. – Performances by Alboroto on the Stardust Café Terrace, weather permitting
- 2:30 p.m. – Hoosier Latinos: A Century of Struggle, Service, and Success – Book talk and author signing with Nicole Martinez-LeGrand and Daniel Gonzales
Heritage Night: Tuesday, Sept. 26 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
- 5:30 p.m. – Performance by traditional Peruvian flutist Carlos Torres
- 7 p.m. – The Politics of Indigeneity in Latin America – Lecture with Carolina Castereno
Heritage Day: Saturday, Sept. 30 from 10 a.m. to 5p.m.
- Free admission day!
- 12:30 p.m. – “Outburst by the CLO Followed”: The Concerned Latins Organization, Protest Politics, and Recovering Indiana’s Civil Rights History – Lecture by Emiliano Aguilar, Ph.D.
- 2:30 p.m. and 3:45 p.m. – Performances by Ballet Folkloric Mosaicos
- Discussion by Flor Ramos-Skidmore about pupusas, an El Salvadoran dish
All activities are included with admission to the Indiana History Center, with free admission on Saturday Sept. 30. You can check out the full schedule and reserve your advance admission tickets at this link.