Celebrate Latino Heritage Month with the Indiana Historical Society, La Plaza and more.
Latino Heritage Month, which is celebrated Sept. 14-Oct. 12, is a monthlong celebration recognizing and uplifting the contributions, influence and culture of Hispanic Americans. Indianapolis’ festivities kicked off over the weekend and are in full swing with art exhibitions, festivals and family-friendly activities across the city.
Indiana Historical Society
The Indiana Historical Society (IHS) is celebrating Latino Heritage Month with a handful of events, activities and exhibits on display now through Oct. 12 at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center,450 W. Ohio St.
Guests are invited to learn and celebrate the rich culture of Indiana’s Latino community through special programing, including IHS’s traveling exhibit, “Be Heard: Latino Experiences in Indiana,” mixed-media artist Justin Favela’s art installation based on the Fiestas Patrias Parade (Mexican Independence) and the cover of IHS’ press book “Hoosier Latinos: A Century of Struggle, Service and Success,” as well as a display of historical Folklorico costumes in the Lilly Hall.
Lastly, IHS will host a concert on the canal from 6-8 p.m. on Oct. 3 featuring Alboroto, an Indy-based Latin rock band. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit indianahistory.org/events/alboroto.
For more information about IHS programming and celebrations, call 317-232-1882 or visit indianahistory.org.
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La Plaza
Since 1981, La Plaza’s FIESTA has been known as the premiere event celebrating Latino culture and heritage in Indianapolis. This year, the annual festival will take place at a new location.
From noon to 8 p.m. on Sept. 21, Military Park will be host to a vibrant and diverse display of live music and entertainment, dancing and traditional food from local vendors. FIESTA will feature something for the whole family, from activities for kids to a health and wellness fair and community service booths to browse through.
The event is free to attend but attendees are encouraged to RSVP on Eventbrite.
Monument Circle
Shining A Light’s annual Hispanic Heritage Month presentation debuted on Monument Circle Sept. 15 and will be displayed each night at 8:30 p.m., 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. until Sept. 24. The special presentation, which is a collaboration between Downtown Indy, Inc., AES Indiana and the Indiana Latino Institute, aims to highlight “the Latino community’s contributions to the workforce, social framework and cultural melting pot of America.”
The presentation launched in 2019 as a way to highlight a variety of Hoosier stories across many cultures. Indiana is home to more than half a million Latino Hoosiers and Shine A Light aims to uplift those stories while educating others about Hispanic countries and Latin American cultures and traditions.
For more information, visit downtownindy.org.
Contact Arts & Culture Reporter Chloe McGowan at 317-762-7848. Follow her on X @chloe_mcgowanxx.
Chloe McGowan is the Arts & Culture Reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper. Originally from Columbus, OH, Chloe graduated with a degree in journalism from The Ohio State University. She is a former IndyStar Pulliam Fellow, and her previous work includes freelancing for Indy Maven, Assistant Arts & Life Editor for The Lantern, and editorial assistant at CityScene Media Group. Chloe enjoys covering all things arts and culture — from local music, visual art, dance, theater and film, as well as minority-owned businesses. In her free time, Chloe enjoys reading, cooking and keeping her plants alive.
