A South End Guide to National Hispanic Heritage Month 2024

by Agueda Pacheco Flores

I love this time of year, especially over these past few years. Ever since the pandemic lockdown, it feels as though the local Latino community has really flourished. It’s something I spoke about with food writer Marisel Salazar earlier this month when she came to Town Hall to promote her book Latin-ish, which is full of American Latino recipes. You read that right, American Latino, not Latin American. Salazar was quick to differentiate between the two. The former is authentically American in the way Latinos have adapted, improvised, and recreated their own home dishes, whereas the latter stays true to what some may call “traditional.”

I feel the same can be said of the local Latino community. In the past, when I was a child, my parents sold goods at a local swap meet, which moonlighted as a drive-in theater. It was the one place as a child that I saw my community in droves. Swap meets felt like an adaptation to the traditional markets of my parents’ homeland. But those spaces disappeared over the years as drive-in theaters went out of style. I like to think that us kids who grew up running around those impromptu markets had it with the years of invisibility, especially during lockdown, and grew up to make spaces like Aquí Mercado and Bidi Bidi Bom Bash. These markets … they’re something else, something new. These are no longer Latin American spaces, these are American Latino spaces. It truly fits this year’s National Hispanic Heritage Month theme, “Pioneers of Change: Shaping the Future Together.”

With that in mind, this year, Seattle is absolutely packed with events honoring National Hispanic Heritage Month, which begins Sept. 15 and ends Oct. 15. During this time, six Latin American countries — Mexico, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and Honduras — celebrate their independence from their Spanish colonizers. Indigenous Peoples’ Day also lands on Oct. 14. So, from Indigenous Latinos, to Afro Latinos, to Latino chefs, musicians, and scientists, this is a time to honor all Latin American roots, countries, and communities.

Want to see your event in this guide? Email us at Community@SeattleEmerald.org!

Sept. 7–Oct. 19
Various venues throughout the Seattle area

The Mexican Consulate’s eighth annual MEXAM NW Festival kicked off this past weekend, but there’s still plenty of events and activities around town with the MEXAM NW seal of approval. Sea Mar’s annual parade, for example, will again take place in South Park on Sept. 14 (and be as lively as ever). This year, the Mexican Consulate is also promoting El Grito Concert at Town Hall on Sept. 15. 

Sept. 7–29
9414 Delridge Way SW

The Chicano gallery behind this past summer’s Lowrider Block Party is back with another. This time, it’s hosting ¡Radical!, featuring art that speaks to social oppression, change, progress, and revolution. The gallery is free to view and will be on display until Sept. 29.

Sept. 14–15
South Park and Seattle Center
14th Henderson St., South Park, and Seattle Center Armory Food & Event Hall and Fisher Pavilion, 305 Harrison St.

Kick off the official start of Hispanic Heritage Month with Sea Mar Fiestas Patrias, a festival that takes place in South Park and at the Seattle Center. The celebration starts at 10 a.m. on Sept. 14 with a parade bringing out horses, hot rods, floats, and music through the heart of South Park. A free youth boxing tournament takes place at the Sea Mar Community Center at 2 p.m. 

Highlights from the celebration at the Seattle Center include a soccer clinic with Seattle Sounders FC, food, art, kids activities, a health fair, and live music and dancing each evening.

Sept. 14–Oct. 15
15003 14th Ave. SW, Burien, WA 98166

The region’s first culturally inclusive food bank organization has some big plans starting Sept. 14 to “increase cultural food donations.” For now, the organization has only revealed its Pozole del Pueblo event on Oct. 11. Try the different variations of pozoles, a traditional hominy soup, from all over Mexico. This soup sampler event sounds like just the thing to do on a chilly October evening.

Sept. 15
T-Mobile Park, 1250 1st Ave. S.

Last year, the Seattle Mariners celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month by donating $10 of every ticket for their game against “Los Doyers” to Casa Latina. This year is no different. On Sept. 15, the Mariners will be playing ball with the Texas Rangers. These specially priced tickets go for $58 and come with a complimentary Hispanic Heritage T-shirt. Deadline to purchase is Sept. 13.

Sept. 20
2800 Southcenter Mall, entrance at Duke’s Seafood, Tukwila, WA 98188

On Sept. 20, Westfield Mall at Southcenter will be honoring Hispanic Heritage Month with music and live performances that reflect the Latino community of Tukwila. Visitors will also be offered a range of food samples. There will also be a spin-to-win wheel for those looking to try their luck. 

Sept. 21
Seward Park, 5900 Lake Washington Blvd S.

ECOSS, formerly known as the Environmental Coalition of South Seattle, a nonprofit that focuses on providing sustainable solutions to immigrant and refugee communities, is hosting a day full of outdoor activities at Seward Park on Sept. 21 to celebrate Latino Conservation Week. Expect lotería, habitat restoration, lawn games, food, and giveaways. Don’t forget to register. 

Sept. 21
480 152 SW St.

Burien is bringing back its annual celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month with BTown Fiesta on Sept. 21. This free event will take place at Burien Town Square, next to the Burien King County Library. Local Latino vendors and business owners will fill the town center with music, dance lessons, karaoke, games for the kiddos, and a beer garden for adults. 

Sept. 21
The Roadhouse at Angle Lake Station, 19955 28th Ave. S., SeaTac, WA 98188

The city of SeaTac has partnered with Growing Contigo, a company that specializes in helping small, BIPOC-owned businesses, to host its first ever “MicroMercado” at the Angle Lake Station on Sept. 21. Aside from food and gift vendors, the day will also feature cultural performances. The first 25 people to show up will get a free bag full of “goodies.”

Sept. 21
Fisher Pavilion at Seattle Center, 305 Harrison St.

Celebrate 30 years of Casa Latina, the nonprofit that works to help Latino and immigrant communities with resources, education, and employment training, and support its work by buying a ticket to its event. On Sept. 21, Casa Latina will take over Fisher Pavilion with music, food, and special guests Sen. Rebecca Saldaña and Poet Claudia Castro Luna. 

Sept. 28
Seattle Convention Center, 900 Pine St.

El Centro de la Raza’s community gala event, which will raise money for its more than 40 programs and resources, will take place on Sept. 28. The night will feature live music and a food plate of your choice. Choose between chicken mole, citrus-crusted cod, or vegan mole and stuffed pepper.

Oct. 3
4303 Memorial Way NE

The Burke Museum will be dedicating its Free First Thursday in October to National Hispanic Heritage Month. Latino scientists, academics, and knowledge holders will be present to talk about their work. The museum is encouraging children and teens interested in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, math) careers to talk to people such as Burke Museum’s fairly new Executive Director Gabriela Chavarria, who graduated from Mexico City’s world class university UNAM. 

Oct. 4–12
Various venues

The 16th annual Seattle Latino Film Festival kicks off on Oct. 4. The festival will be screening the Venezuelan American 2023 film The Shadow of the Sun on its opening night. The film highlights themes “relevant to the deaf community,” which “pay tribute to inclusivity and representation,” according to its website. So far, the festival has only unveiled two days of its nine-day program, so stay tuned.

Oct. 5
1501 10th Ave. E.

Movimiento Afrolatino Seattle, a nonprofit organization that promotes Black culture and art within Latinidad, also known as Afro-Latino culture, is celebrating its 10th anniversary on Oct. 5. Tickets for this event will help raise money so MÁS can continue to do this work in the Seattle community. Your ticket includes dinner, a nonalcoholic drink, and the opportunity to learn and meet some of the region’s foremost Afro-Latino artists.

Oct. 7, Oct. 15
Online

In October, the King County Library System will talk with up-and-coming writers Marcela Fuentes and Raquel Vasquez Gilliland. Fuentes, author of Malas, a novel that centers around a multigenerational bond between two women, will talk with KCLS on Oct. 7. Gilliland, author of the magical-realism-inspired book Witch of Wild Things, will speak with KCLS on Oct. 15. These will both be online, but register ahead of time. 

Oct. 11–13
Hilton Seattle Airport & Conference Center, 17620 International Blvd

The Seattle Latin Dance Festival is back in SeaTac for another night full of rhythms of bachata, cumbia, salsa, and more. This year, the 6th annual event takes place from Oct. 11 to Oct. 13. The three-day event kicks off with a dance party (of course) and will be followed with not just more social dancing, but also dance workshops, competitions, and performances. Ticket prices range from $40 to $340.

Oct. 12
Tacoma Armory, 1001 S. Yakima Ave., Tacoma, WA 98405

Previously called Festival Latinx, Festival Herencia Latina (which translates to Latin Heritage) will take place Oct. 12 at Tacoma’s Armory. Last year’s festival featured mariachis, folkloric dancers, bilingual story time, and even a salsa dance demo. I wonder what they’ll feature this year? You can also expect to find a market to support artists and artisans. 

Oct. 19 
On the radio

Feeling like staying in, but still want to celebrate Latinidad? Just tune in to KEXP on Oct. 19 to hear El Sonido broadcasted live from Mexico City. The station has partnered with the Vive Latino Festival to bring Latino talent to your ears. The talent lineup includes Melenas, Los Cogelones, La Ciencia Simple, and Descartes a Kant.