‘I’m proud to be Mexican-American’: Two local events planned for this weekend to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month
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IDAHO FALLS — Two local events this weekend will bring the community together for Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15.
Saturday
On Saturday from noon to 5 p.m., the Greater Idaho Falls Chamber of Commerce’s Hispanic Council, in partnership with Teton Toyota, is hosting its event, Celebrando Nuestras Raices, or Celebrating Our Roots.
The event will be at Teton Toyota at 2252 West Sunnyside Road and will feature live music and vendors. It will be free.
Hispanic Council Co-Chair Juan Contreras told EastIdahoNews.com that this celebration isn’t just for Mexico’s Independence Day, which is on Sept. 16, but for other Latin American countries that celebrate their independence days in September.
“We wanted to be more geared towards celebrating our Hispanic heritage. … We wanted to be inclusive of other countries,” Contreras said.
The main goal is to bring the Hispanic, Latino and broader community together to celebrate and be united.
He said this has been a long time coming, as the Hispanic Council has been hosting events since last year with Dia De Los Muertos and Dia Del Niños, which he said have been well attended by the community. During Dia de Los Muertos, 1,500 people attended, and 3,000 people attended the Dia de Los Niños.
“These are Hispanic events that we are that we are showcasing so the community can get to see what the Hispanic community is about,” Contreras said.
Discussing the event, Contreras said there will be a salsa competition (not the dance), and they are inviting folks to bring their salsas to see whose is the best.
He said there will be prizes for first, second and third place, but he cannot say what they are. (And although the celebration will be at Teton Toyota, the prizes do not include a car.)
Sunday
On Sunday, there will be another event held by Calakas Tacos and Miches to celebrate Mexico’s Independence Day and to kick off Hispanic Heritage Month. This event will at the Waterfront at 1220 Event Center Drive and will run from 1 to 8 p.m. The event is family-focused and free.
Calakas owner Liliana Sanchez said there will be food vendors, live music, food trucks, activities for kids, a car show, and salsa and grito contests.
Sanchez said Calakas and their sponsors are hosting this event, and it is separate from the Hispanic Chamber event.
“It’s a good thing that folks have a lot of opportunities to go to one event or to another,” Sanchez said. “People have two options to learn about what Hispanic Heritage Month is and to unite the community.”
Contreras said both events will have different features, and both will be amazing.
“We’re hoping everyone comes to our event on Saturday, and then on Sunday, we all go over to Liliana’s event,” Contreras said.
Echoing what Contreras said, this event is to kick off Hispanic Heritage Month by celebrating other Latin American countries that celebrate their independence from Sept. 15 through Sept. 21.
However, Sanchez said a part of the event on Sunday will be the grito contest.
She said El Grito de Dolores, or the Cry of Dolores, marks the start of Mexico’s war for independence from Spain. This has been a tradition to celebrate Mexico’s Independence Day, where the president of Mexico recites El Grito de Dolores.
Sanchez said El Grito is a way to mark the beginning of the celebration with parties and fireworks.
Prizes for those who win the best grito and the best salsa competition will be $100, and those who place second and third will get other prizes, like gift cards.
There will also be traditional dances from two groups, Dance Azteca Quetzalcoatl and La Danza de Torito de Romita, Guanajuato.
Sanchez said she is proud of her culture and her heritage, and this is a way to share it with the community.
“I’m proud to be Mexican-American. … I’m proud to have the two nationalities,” Sanchez said. “Mexico saw me be born, and in America is where I’ll die, and I’m proud of it.”
To learn more about each event, visit Calakas tacos and Miches Facebook page and Teton Toyota’s Facebook page.