One of Philadelphia's largest celebrations of Latino music and culture, Feria del Barrio brings together thousands to celebrate arts, education and community. (Photo by G. Widman for Visit Philadelphia)
Fun, food, arts and cultural activities highlight this year's Hispanic Heritage Month in Philadelphia, which runs from Monday, September 15 through Wednesday, October 15.
Celebrate the varied Hispanic cultures that make up the City of Brotherly Love with fiestas, shows, parades, exhibitions, foodie events and more.
Chocolate lovers can barter cacao seeds in an Aztec Market at the Academy of Natural Sciences, while revelers can catch the celebratory spirit at Penn's Landing's Mexican Independence Day Festival and the Puerto Rican Day Parade on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
Read on for our picks for festivities during National Historic Heritage Month.
FESTIVALS AND PARADES
Mexican Independence Day Festival
Sunday, September 14. It's all Mexico food, music, dancing and crafts all day during the annual Mexican Independence Day Festival at Penn's Landing. The family-friendly affair includes performances by a mariachi band and a dance troupe, as well as local and national food and drink vendors. Area restaurants will compete for the title of “Best Taco in Philadelphia.” MORE INFO
Harvest Celebration at Las Parcelas
Saturday, September 20. Las Parcelas, a cultural hub in North Philadelphia celebrates fall with a variety of events that celebrate Hispanic heritage. Look forward to traditional dance performances, music, an art installation, a plethora of empanadas and pies for a competition and more. Entry is $10 per person, but those who bring an empanada or pie for the taste test get in for free. MORE INFO
Feria del Barrio
Sunday, September 21. Did someone say fiesta? Look no further than the annual Feria del Barrio, one of the Philadelphia's largest celebrations of Latino art and culture. The free music, dance and art extravaganza hits the sidewalks of the historic Centro de Oro neighborhoodthe center of Latino culture in Philadelphia. MORE INFO
Brazilian Day Philadelphia
Sunday, September 21. Get ready to dance, dance, dance at Brazilian Day Philadelphia, celebrating Brazil's independence. Authentic traditional foods and merchandise are available in abundance, and performers light up the stage with the contagious rhythms of the samba, forro, pagode, capoeira, samba-reggae and other dances. MORE INFO
Fiesta en la Calle 9
Sunday, September 21. Fiesta en la Calle 9 (Party on 9th Street) brings flavor, music and vibrant colors to the East Passyunk section of South Philadelphia. Supported by the Mexican restaurant owners of South Philadelphia and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the event features food, musical performances, crafts and more. MORE INFO
Hispanic Heritage Month, September 15 through October 15, brings an array of happenings to the city to celebrate the varied cultures of Hispanics and Hispanic Americans. (Photo by J. Fusco for Visit Philadelphia)
Puerto Rican Day Parade
Sunday, September 28. Floats, festive dances, local celebs, youth groups and more than 1,500 musicians spice up the action on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway for the annual Puerto Rican Day Parade. The annual parade is the city's largest and oldest outdoor event celebrating Latino and Puerto Rican heritage. MORE INFO
More, below.
ARTS AND CULTURE
White Elephant at International House Philadelphia
Friday, September 12. Join Beatriz Urraca and Gary M. Kramer, co-editors of Directory of World Cinema: Argentina, in a screening and discussion of White Elephant. The film blends fast-paced action and social commentary to tell the story of a young priest dealing with the harsh realities of life among Argentina's poor. MORE INFO
XCultural Passport Week
September 14-21. Year two of XCultural Passport Week, celebrating immigrant heritage and cultural diversity, is expanding this year to include a restaurant week event, along with a photo exhibit, a bar crawl, musical performances and more. MORE INFO
Yo Soy Oro at HACE's Business & Visitors Center
September 21-October 18. Artists Maya Escobar and Andria Morales merge their formidable talents in the innovative exhibition Yo Soy Oro (I Am Gold). Using a combination of modern technology, community participation, advertising and marketing techniques and photography, the project explores how the El Centro de Oro community perceives and defines itself. MORE INFO
The National Constitution Center
September 15-October 15. The National Constitution Center celebrates Hispanic-American Trailblazers all month long. The museum will display special artifactsthe Bible that Chief Justice John Roberts used to swear in Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor and the baseball Roberto Clemente hit in his 1,273rd career RBIthat tell the Hispanic-American story. Throughout the month, visitors can also watch an interactive show that examines the lives of notable Hispanic Americans and take a self-guided tour of items in the museum's collections that are of specific interest to Latinos. MORE INFO
Qu Viva la Herencia Latina! at Races Culturales Latinoamericanas
Friday, September 26. Qu Viva la Herencia Latina! (Viva Latina Heritage), the second annual Musical & Culinary Arts Explosion, ups the fun and entertainment factor of the bi-monthly Tertulia gatherings. This night is all about traditional Latin foods, music and entertainment. MORE INFO
Celebrate the 2014 Puerto Rican Day Parade which brings a fiesta to the Benjamin Franklin Parkway on Sunday, September 28. (Photo courtesy Concilio)
The Barnes Foundation
October 3 and 5. The Barnes Foundation celebrates Hispanic arts and culture with two events taking place the first weekend in October. Flamenco dancing and guitar is on the agenda for Flamenco Fiesta, a First Friday presentation (October 3), while a talk and book signing by artist/author Gilberto Gonzalez and Al Dia's Sabrina Vourvoulias (October 5) fills the calendar for First Sunday. MORE INFO
The Penn Museum
Anytime is a good time to visit the Mexico and Central America Galleries at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. Five grand stone monuments with hieroglyphic writing and two monumental circular altars from the Penn Museum's early Maya excavations dominate this signature gallery, which features more than 200 ancient artifacts such as jade carvings, jewelry, painted pottery and figurines, some dating back 3,500 years. MORE INFO
FOOD AND OTHER EVENTS
13th Annual Goya Latino Family Celebration
Saturday, September 27. The Philadelphia Phillies keep a long-standing tradition going when they celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month during the 13th Annual Goya Latino Family Celebration at Citizens Bank Park. The game against the Atlanta Braves hits a homerun with special food and entertainment. Bonus: Phils fans get a discount on tickets by using the online promotion code SALSA. MORE INFO
Calle 13 at The Kimmel Center
Saturday, September 27. Calle 13 makes its Philadelphia debut at the Merriam Theater for a one-night performance of the Multiviral Tour. The popular Puerto Rican band — winners of a record-breaking 19 Latin Grammy Awards and two Grammy Awards — are credited with changing the discourse about Latin Americaartistically, politically and socially. MORE INFO
Hispanic Choice Awards
Saturday, October 11. Community leaders, social activists and trendsetters from the region's Hispanic community are honored during the Hispanic Choice Awards. This glittery annual party and award ceremonycelebrating its 11th anniversaryhonors the achievements of Latino movers-and-shakers at a new location this year: the Merriam Theater. MORE INFO
Chocolate: The Exhibition at ANSP
October 11-January 24, 2015. When Chocolate: The Exhibition rolls into The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, the Mexican Cultural Center and Chef Dionicio Jimenez will be on hand preparing Mexican foods that include chocolate ingredients. The kick-off event also includes activities for children, folkloric performances and more. The interactive exhibition traces the cacao bean's role in Aztec culture through its evolution into an indulgent modern treat. MORE INFO
Upwards of 20,000 people flock to Penn’s Landing each year for the vibrant Mexican Independence Day Festival, a food- and arts-filled cultural extravaganza. (Photo by Edward Savaria for Visit Philadelphia)