Hispanic Heritage Month runs from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 and is a time to celebrate the people and cultures who have helped to shape the United States.

The holiday started in 1968 as a week-long celebration and expanded to a month of festivities about two decades later.

Sept. 15 is notable because Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Belize and Nicaragua celebrate their independence on that date, according to hispanicheritagemonth.gov. Mexico celebrates on Sept. 16 and Chile on Sept. 18. 

In the Phoenix area, many organizations are presenting Hispanic Heritage Month activities meant to enrich, educate and celebrate. Here’s what’s happening around town.

Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration

Celebrate Phoenix’s Hispanic community with music, dance and storytelling. The festivities will spotlight local entertainers such as Mariachi Juvenil de mi Tierra, the Yolloincuauhtil Aztec Dancers, Zarco Guerrero and Gustavo Angeles y Cascabel.

Details: 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 12. Orpheum Theatre, 203 W. Adams St., Phoenix. Free. phoenixhispanicnetwork.org.

Phoenix Art Museum

The museum is observing Hispanic Heritage Month in a variety of ways.

Through Sept. 22: See “Mexican Photographers, Mexican Views,” 60 photos from the 1910s through the 1990s that examine Mexico’s social and political structures. The exhibit features prominent photographers such as Hugo Brehme, Lola Alvarez Bravo and Manuel Alvarez Bravo. The photos depict indigenous people, landscapes and scenes of everyday rural life.

Sept. 18: The museum and the Phoenix Film Festival present a restored version of “I Am Cuba,” which tells the story of pre-revolutionary Cuba through four different vignettes. Cost is $5.

Sept. 18: During the Make It! activity for all ages, a local artist will lead a live drawing session in which guests will be encouraged to find inspiration in the museum’s Mexican photographers exhibit. Sept. 18 is Pay What You Wish Wednesday.

Sept. 25: See director Alfonso Cuaron’s 2018 film “Roma,” which delves into societal hierarchies in Mexico through the life of a domestic worker in the 1970s. The screening is free, but RSVPs are required.

Details: Phoenix Art Museum, 1625 N. Central Ave., Phoenix. See the complete schedule of events and fees online. 602-257-1880, phxart.org.

Casino Arizona’s Fiestas Patrias

Casino Arizona presents its Fiestas Patrias celebration Sept. 13-15.

Sept. 13-14: In the Showroom, relive the music of Mana during performances by  Corazon de Mana, a tribute group from California. Hear favorites such as “En El Muelle de San Blas” and “Oye Mi Amor.” The show is at 7:30 p.m. both nights and tickets cost $17.50.

Sept. 15: Mariachi Phoenix will perform from 5 to 7 p.m. on the casino floor and from 9 to 11 p.m. in the CAZ Sports Bar. Dancers from the Ollin Yoliztli Dance Academy will perform in CAZ Sports Bar from 7 to 9 p.m. at 11 p.m. Free.

Details: Casino Arizona, 524 N. 92nd St., Salt River Reservation. Free. 480-850-7777, casinoarizona.com/promotions/fiestas-patrias.

Rockin’ Taco Street Fest

Sample tacos from more than a dozen East Valley restaurants and food trucks. There also will be lucha libre wrestling; elote-, burrito- and taco-eating competitions; a car show; a piñata party; and a kids zone. Hear live music from the B-Side Players, Evil Waze and La Misa Negra. In Las Palmas Cantina Margarita Hut, patrons can see flair bartenders at work. VIP tickets include alcoholic beverages, soft drinks and water; a catered meal; private bathrooms; and access to the front of the stage.

Details: Noon-9 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14. Dr. A.J. Chandler Park, 178 E. Commonwealth Ave., Chandler. $12-$20 general admission, $99 VIP, free for age 12 and younger. Additional costs for food and beverages. rockintacoaz.com.

D-Backs Hispanic Heritage Day

A street festival from 2 to 5 p.m. will feature music by Grupo Latido, food trucks and a Dia de Los Muertos art exhibition. The SOL La Terraza area will have mariachi performers, ballet folklorico dancers, pinatas, face painters and a local cumbia and bachata dance group. The Arazando Dance Company salsa group will perform during the pregame festivities. The first 20,000 fans will receive a special Los D-Backs jersey, which players will wear during the game against the Cincinnati Reds.

Details: 5:10 p.m. Saturday Sept. 14. Chase Field, 401 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix. From $22. 602-462-4600, mlb.com/dbacks.

Arizona State University

ASU organizations will honor Hispanic Heritage Month with talks and celebrations. All the events are free.

Sept. 15: ASU Art Museum Curator Julio Cesar Morales will discuss “Adios Cinco de Mayo: Decolonizing an American Holiday.” The lecture is at the museum, 51 E. 10th St., Tempe.

Sept. 15-24: Students can celebrate with food, music and art on Sept. 15 at the Downtown campus and on Sept. 17 and 24 at the West campus. Take salsa lessons during salsa night on Sept. 24 at the Polytechnic campus.

Oct. 7: A performance by Los Angeles band La Santa Cecilia and poet and journalist Dolores Dorantes blends music and word and will delve into topics such as family, love, war and separation. 7-9 p.m. at Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Ave., Phoenix.

Hispanic Heritage Month at the Nash

The Jazz Meets Poetry series at the Nash Jazz Club kicks off the 2019-2020 season with a Hispanic Heritage Month celebration. Caleb Michel & Trio Los Cubichis will combine contemporary jazz with works from local writers and poets. Dancer Zarina Mendoza will add to the interdisciplinary performance.

Details: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 19. The Nash Jazz Club, 110 E. Roosevelt St., Phoenix. $15-$20, $8-$10 for students. 602-795-0464, thenash.org/tag/jazz-meets-poetry.

Glendale Community College

Arizona Sen. Martin J. Quezada will speak from 10 to 11 a.m. From 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Alberto Olivas, ASU’s executive director for the Pastor Center for Politics and Public Service, will talk about Aztec culture in Arizona. The discussion will be followed by a performance by ASU’s Danza Azteca Grupo Coatlique.

Details: Thursday, Sept. 19. Student Union 104E, Glendale Community College, 6000 W. Olive Ave, Glendale. Free. www.gccaz.edu.

Chandler Museum

The new museum is offering two Hispanic Heritage Month events.

Sept. 21: See a performance by Ballet Folklorico Quetzalli, try on costumes and headpieces and take part in a flower craft activity.

Sept. 28: Learn about the history of the Latino community in Chandler during “Step in Their Shoes: Latinos in Early Chandler.” There will be a tortilla-press demonstration, a craft activity and a photo and oral history exhibition.

Details: 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21 and Sept. 28. Chandler Museum, 300 S. Chandler Village Drive. Free. 480-782-2717, chandleraz.gov.

Somos Peoria

Celebrate the contributions of the West Valley’s Hispanic community. Highlights include a three-on-three basketball tournament, a low-rider car show, local and national entertainment, lucha libre wrestling and a children’s area with inflatables and rides. Headliners are R&B/soul singer Brenton Wood, Tejano/R&B/funk group the Latin Breed and Latin rock group El Chicano. There also will be local bands and mariachi and folklorico dance groups. Food vendors will sell tacos, nachos, pizza, burgers, elote,  barbecue, fry bread, kettle corn and Asian fusion cuisine.

Details: 2-10:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 28. At 83rd and Grand avenues, Peoria. $5 before 5 p.m., $10 after, $35-$40 for VIP. Free shuttles from City Hall Campus, 8401 W. Monroe St. 623-773-7137, peoriaaz.gov.

Mariachi and Folklorico Festival

Enjoy performances by local and international performers. Aida Cuevas headlines the festival with Mariachi Aztlan. Cuevan has won Grammy and Latin Grammy awards and released over 39 albums during a 44-year career. Ballet Folklorico Quetzalli, Mariachi Tesoro de Tucson, Mariachi Corazon de Valle and the Rascapetatiando Dance Company are among the local groups performing. There also will be an artisan market, a tequila tasting and a silent auction. The night before, check out Nuestras Voces: A Youth Mariachi and Folklorico Festival.

Details: Youth festival, 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 4. $10, $5 for students. Mariachi and Folklorico Festival, 7 p.m. Saturday Oct. 5. Chandler Center for the Arts, 250 N. Arizona Ave., Chandler, $45-$85. 480-782-2680, www.chandlercenter.org.

Frida Kahlo Talk

Frida Kahlo is one of the most influential painters of the 20th century. Carmen Guerrero of the Cultural Coalition will discuss Kahlo’s impact on Mexican culture and  contemporary art. That will be followed by a Kahlo-inspired craft activity.

Details: 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 5. Ocotillo Library, 102 W. Southern Ave., Phoenix. Free. 602-262-4636, www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org.

Tempe Tardeada

A tardeada is a social dance held on Sunday afternoons when families gather after church to socialize, dance and listen to music. The 21st annual Tempe Tardeada will feature dancing, a tortilla-making demonstration, face painting, games and crafts, dance and music performances, a coloring contest for children, inflatables and traditional food. Entertainers include local bands; an elementary school choir; ballet folklorico, salsa and mambo dance groups; and a 10-piece mariachi group. The Tempe History Museum will bring out photo albums with pictures and information about Tempe’s early families.

Details: Noon-8 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 6. Tempe Community Complex, 3500 S. Rural Road. Free. tempe.gov/tardeada.

CineLatino Film Series

The Phoenix Film Festival presents three films from Mexico as part of its CineLatino film series. The series is part of the Peoria Film Fest, held at Harkins Arrowhead Fountains 18 theater.

Details: Friday-Sunday, Oct. 11-13. Harkins Arrowhead Fountains 18, 16046 N. Arrowhead Fountains Center Drive, Peoria. peoriafilmfest.com.

Latino Pride Festival

There will be local folklorico dance and mariachi groups, a Selena tribute group, Naysha Lopez from “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and Carmit Bachar from The Pussycat Dolls. See local drag performers such as Ruby Reynolds and Diamond Dallas. DJs will spin music throughout the day, and emerging drag performers will complete in the first Latinx Queen Pageant. An art tent will spotlight local artists, and attendees can learn about organizations that offer health and financial services. Kids activities include face painting and caricature drawing. Food vendors will sell street tacos, burgers, quesadillas, churros and Sonoran hot dogs.

Details: Noon-10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 12. Corona Ranch and Rodeo Grounds, 7611 S. 29th Ave., Laveen. $10. lpf2019.com.

Surprise Fiesta Grande

Enjoy live performances on two stages, face painters, balloon artists, inflatables, a classic car show, dance classes and a piñata plaza. Two stages will feature ballet folklorico dance and mariachi groups such as Mariachi Luz Del Sur and Fiesta Mexicana Dance Company. Attendees can also watch local bands such as Soul Persuasion and Str8up and the dance-based La Hora Loca Show.

Details: 5-10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 12. Villanueva Recreation Complex, 15660 N. Hollyhock St., Surprise. Free admission; free shuttle service from AZ TechCelerator, 12425 W. Bell Road, Surprise. surpriseaz.gov/files/fiesta.

Arizona Taco Festival

More than 50 teams will compete for cash prizes, trophies and bragging rights. Visitors can sample $3 versions of steak, chicken, veggie, pork and seafood. The Taco Society Culture Tent will present taco-themed art, fashion, music and photography. There will be areas for tequila and hot sauce tasting and lucha libre wrestling, as well as a playground with see-saws and ball pits. Activities include a Chihuahua beauty pageant, pepper- and taco-eating contests and a cooking demo. One couple will have a chance to get married onstage as part of a special Day of the Day themed wedding. Local bands and DJs will keep up the energy. VIP tickets include private bar and bathrooms, lounge seating, catered food and entertainment.

Details: 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 12-13. WestWorld of Scottsdale, 16601 N. Pima Road. $10-$15 for one-day admission, $25 for weekend pass, $150-$220 for VIP, half off for military members, $10 for hot sauce expo, $20 for tequila expo. aztacofestival.com.

“Somos America” Exhibition

The Arizona Latino Arts and Cultural Center’s “Somos America” exhibition highlights local artists with diverse styles and ways of looking at the world. See paintings, photographs, mixed-media works, sculptures and other art exploring topics ranging from everyday people to politics.

Details: Through Wednesday, Oct. 25. Galeria 147, Arizona Latino Arts and Cultural Center, 147 E. Adams St., Phoenix. Free. 602-254-9817, facebook.com/ArizonaLatinArtsCulturalCenter.

Phoenix Mariachi Festival

See the internationally known Mariachi Nuevo Tecalitlan, who have released more than 60 albums since their founding in the 1960s in Jalisco, Mexico. You’ll also see Sandra Guevara, who will perform with Mariachi Tesoro; Mariachi Rubor, an all-female mariachi group; and Chandler-based Ballet Folklorico Quetzalli. The Phoenix-based Mariachi Corazon del Valle will perform in the lobby before the show.

Details: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 9. Orpheum Theatre, 203 W. Adams St., Phoenix. From $40. facebook.com/mariachifestivalphoenix.

Read or Share this story: https://www.azcentral.com/story/entertainment/events/2019/09/11/hispanic-heritage-month-2019-phoenix-events-things-to-do/2236382001/