Hispanic, Latino and Chicano communities have woven their influence into the cultural fabric of the Mile High City (and across the country).
National Hispanic Heritage Month takes place from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 in celebration of the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors come from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central and South America.
This year Denver will celebrate by hosting Mariachi festivals, a Latino craft beer festival, salsa and bachata dance workshops, a Latin fashion week and Ofrendas workshops all month long.
Here are some ways that you can celebrate this month.
2023 Viva Southwest Mariachi Festival
Date: Saturday, Sept. 16, 6-10 p.m.
Location: Levitt Pavilion, 1380 W. Florida Ave.
Join the Latino Cultural Arts Center (LCAC) and the Metropolitan State University Music Department on Mexican Independence Day for a free mariachi festival. The event will feature Mariachi Estelares, a Colorado All-State youth mariachi ensemble representing Denver, Commerce City, Greeley, Longmont, Pueblo and Westminster.
Festival headliners will be Latin Grammy Award-Winner and all-female group, Flor de Toloache.
The concert is free but there are $65 VIP tickets which include a pre-show private reception, specialty food, drink and premium lounge seating.
Hispanic Heritage Month at History Colorado
Date: Sept. 15 – Oct. 15
Location: 1200 N. Broadway
History Colorado has many installments this month honoring the achievements and contributions of the Chicano/a/x, Latino/a/x, and Hispanic communities throughout the history of the Centennial state.
Here are some notable things worth checking out:
Fabián García’s Chili Pepper and the Botanical Transformation of the Borderlands Lecture, Sept. 20: Award-winning author and public historian Dr. Peter A. Kopp will lead a discussion on the contributions of Fabián García, also known as the “Father of New Mexico Chili,” to agriculture in the American Southwest.
El Movimiento: This exhibition explores Colorado during the 1960s and 70s wherein Chicano/a/x activists fought to end discrimination, secure rights, and gain political and social power through education, culture, and the arts.
Borderlands of Southern Colorado: This exhibition provides an overview of the shifting geopolitical history of Southern Colorado before and after the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo that moved a portion of the US-Mexico border from the Arkansas River-which flows through the middle of Colorado down to the Rio Grande in 1848.
Suave Fest, Latino Craft Beer Festival
Date: Saturday, Sept. 30, 12-6 p.m.
Location: 1401 Zuni St.
The third annual Suave Fest, a Latino Craft Beer Festival, celebrates Latinx-owned craft breweries for Hispanic Heritage Month.
The festival will feature 18 Latinx-owned breweries, over 40 beer varieties, 50 artists and artisans, 6 hours of live entertainment, Latin American and Caribbean food vendors and other non-alcoholic choices.
General admission tickets start at $35. Click here for more information.
Denver Salsa Bachata Congress
Date: Sept. 29 – Oct. 1
Location: Hyatt Regency Aurora-Denver, 13200 E. 14th Place
The 10th anniversary of the three-day celebration will be filled with various dance workshops, performances, social dancing until 2 a.m. and a chance to learn from artists who specialize in salsa, bachata, zouk, dancehall and more. In honor of Afro-Latin culture, music and dance, attendees can expect over 21 hours of social dancing, 150 hours of dance workshops in 8 different rooms and live music every night.
Tickets range from $20 to $350.
Ofrendas 2023 Workshops
Date: Monthlong
Location: Various
In celebration of the ancient native and contemporary Meso-American traditions behind Día de los Muertos, the Latino Cultural Arts Center will be hosting workshops with local and international artisans through November.
Free community art workshops invite participants of all ages to create masks, candles, frames and sugar skulls while also learning about the different traditions associated with the holiday.
Workshops will be hosted across Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas and Jefferson counties and local venues include D3 Arts in Westwood, Raíces Brewing Company, Sun Valley Kitchen and select Denver Public Library locations.
Click here for the full list of workshops you can attend.
Latin Fashion Week Colorado
Date: Sept. 15-16, 5-9 p.m.
Location: Auraria Campus, 1201 5th St.
Showcasing the work of local and international designers, live music and an immersive experience inspired by Oaxaca, Mexico, Latin Fashion Week Colorado hopes to honor the rich diversity from the Americas, Europe, Africa and Asia.
The first night on Friday, Sept. 15 will feature the work of 12 local designers. A second night on Saturday, Sept. 16 will feature the work of 13 international designers.
Tickets for each night start at $40.
Raíces Brewing Co.
Date: Monthlong
Location: 2060 W. Colfax Ave.
The Sun Valley brewery creates space for celebrations of Central and South American cultures that make it worth a visit during Hispanic Heritage Month. Here are some upcoming events:
On Thursday, Sept. 14, from 7-9 p.m. check out Latin Jazz Raices, a night with Latin jazz group “Las Luces.”
On Friday, Sept. 15, from 3-10 p.m. check out ¡Viva Centroamérica! in celebration of Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, El Salvador and Guatemala with food trucks and folkloric dance groups.
On Saturday, Sept. 16, from 11-10:30 p.m. check out ¡Viva México! with Mariachi Femenil Alma del Folklore and other Mexican artisans.
Be sure to check out the brewery’s monthly calendar for more events all month long.
‘Cuauhtémoczin’ at MCA Holiday Theatre
Date: Oct. 6, 7, 13 and 14
Location: 2644 W. 32nd Ave.
Where does the spirit of the warrior live?
Written by Diego Florez-Arroyo, a founding member of Denver’s Los Mocochetes, Cuauhtémoczin is a multimedia performance that uses ancient mythology to help connect audiences with a glimpse of Aztec culture and their own warrior spirit. It’s a story of a 500-year legacy of the last Aztec emperor with a modern-day story of liberation.
Click here to purchase tickets.
Museo de las Américas, Free Opening Reception
Date: Sept. 14, 6:30-9:30 p.m.
Location: 861 Santa Fe Dr.
Join the Museo de las Americas for a free opening reception of their upcoming exhibit, Costa Rica: Long Live Peace and Labor.
Attendees will get to mingle with the artists, curators, enjoy a drink, light appetizers and experience the new thought-provoking exhibit on the country’s rich cultural heritage of past and vibrant present.
