Celebrating Hispanic and Latine Heritage Month in New Jersey

Each year from September 15th through October 15th we celebrate Hispanic and Latine Heritage Month, honoring the culture, history, achievements, and contributions of Latine and Hispanic Americans.  It also coincidentally falls during the celebration of several Central American countries’ independence days!  It began as a week-long celebration in the late 1960s, and later was expanded to a full month-long event in the late 80s, 20 years later.

Here’s a quick rundown of the countries celebrating independence day during this commemorative month:

September 15th: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua

September 16th: Mexico

September 18th: Chile

September 21st: Belize

Are you looking to join in the celebrations and learn a bit about different Latine and Hispanic cultures? We’ve got you covered with this fantastic list of events all around the state celebrating Hispanic and Latine Heritage Month in New Jersey!

A special exhibit honoring Hispanic Heritage Month through the art of Roberto de la Selva will be on view from September 15th through October 17th with gallery hours from 9AM to 5PM Monday through Friday at the 6th floor Commissioners Gallery at the Union County Administration Building in Elizabeth.

New Brunswick’s City Center will celebrate with a month-long series of free events including FolkLIVE, Mexican Folkloric Festival, a commemorative flag raising, open mic nights, art and interactive experiences for the duration of Hispanic Heritage Month!

Rutgers University Camden Campus will be hosting a month-long celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month Events from September 15th through October 15th including Latin Dance socials, lectures, special events, and even art exhibits!

September 19th at the Wetfield Garden State Plaza in Paramus enjoy a special Tito Puente Jr. Salsa Night in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month for an outdoor free concert celebrating the life and legacy of Tito Puente.

September 20th at Fox Park in Wildwood, come on out for La Fiesta Hispana for live music, special vendors, cultural food, and a celebration of Hispanic Culture for Heritage Month!

A Sensory-Friendly family movie night will be held at Hamilton Stage in Rahway on Friday September 26th from 7PM for a sensory-friendly screening of Disney’s “Encanto” for children and families. Presented in Partnership with Union County Performing Arts Center.

Spiotta Park in South Orange will be home to the South Orange Downtown Fiesta in La Placita with a live Mariachi performance, salsa dance lessons, live music and a DJ, and of course some delicious tacos and food for sale.

The Hudson County “Alma Hispana” Heritage Month Celebration will be hosted at Hudson County Community College in Jersey City on September 28th starting at 4PM with free admission.  There will be live music, food, and special guest performances.

Downtown Princeton will be hosting the Princeton Festival Cultural Latino to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with live music, dance, food, special performances, arts and crafts, family activities, and live demonstrations all day long.

On September 28th, Ultimo Domingo: Celebrate Hispanic/Latine Heritage Month exhibit will be hosted at the Zimmerli Art Musem in New Brunswick. Join local bilingual communities to come together via the arts with live music, creating your own personal artworks, interactive performances, and a special exhibit.

Sazon: Celebrating Latino Heritage in Livingston will take place on Sunday  September 28th from 1PM to 5PM. Come out to the gazebo at memorial oval and park in Livingston to enjoy Latin food trucks, live music, dance demonstrations, cultural performances, and fun activities for all ages. There will also be a commemorative Hispanic Flag Raising Ceremony to commemorate the occasion.

Family Fun Day and the Hispanic Heritage Awards Ceremony will take place at Warinanco Park in Roselle on Saturday October 4th from 2PM to 6PM. This free celebration is open to all families and community members. Enjoy live music and entertainment, delicious local food, cultural performances, bubbles, face painting, bouncy castles, and more!  There will be lots of interactive fun for all ages!

October 4th at the McCarter Theatre Center of Princeton, join Grammy-Nominated drummer, composer, and Bronx-Born Bobby Sanabria and his iconic Latin Jazz Band as part of the Hispanic Heritage Month Programming at the theatre all month long.

Return to McCarter Theater on October 10th for a celebration of Cuban music legin Celia Cruz as a live band plays Afro-Cuban beats with singer Xiomara Laugart, grammy-nominated jazz pianist Axel Tosca, and special guest Tito Puente Jr.

Union College of Union County will be presenting the Hispanic Leadership Panel and discussion on Tuesday, October 14th from 11:30AM to 1:30PM in Cranford.

October 28th, enjoy the Mariachi Herencia de Mexico to wrap up the monthlong celebration at State Theater New JErsey in New Brunswick. This special band includes 14 musicians ranging age 18through 32 representing bicultural genearations in the US.