SAN ANTONIO – The Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center is honoring Hispanic Heritage Month with a celebration of Mexican tradition and culture.
Fiestas Patrias San Antonio takes place during Hispanic Heritage Month, which celebrates the culture and contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans.
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Hispanic Heritage Month officially started Sept. 15. The annual cultural celebration takes place every year through Oct. 15.
Here are the events for the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center Fiestas Patrias celebrations:
- Dance and Identity: A Symposium on Folklorico in Chicano Communities - FREE ADMISSION. This unique symposium celebrates the history of folklorico dance and its impact on the Mexican American experience through the eyes of dance practitioners that include scholars, performers, directors and teachers. The event takes place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Oct. 7 at Trinity University in the William Knox Holt Conference Center, located at 106 Oakmont Court.
- Chicana/o Historias dance performance from Gabriela Mendoza-Garcia Ballet Folklorico of Laredo - Using scholarly text, archival research, and ethnographic sources, Dr. Gabriela Mendoza-Garcia narrates a history of the Chicana/o people with traditional folklorico dance along with a choreographic fusion of zapateado, mambo, and flamenco rhythms. Tickets are $30, $25, $20, $15, according to tiers. The event begins at 8 p.m. on Oct. 7 at Guadalupe Theater, located at 1301 Guadalupe St.
- Celebrando Tradiciones Guadalupe Dance Company and Mariachi Azteca de América - A performance of traditional Mexican folklorico dance by the Guadalupe Dance Company accompanied by Mariachi Azteca de América presented by the City of San Antonio Diez y Seis de Septiembre Commission and AARP. Tickets are $30, $25, $20, $15, according to tiers and reserved tables of 4. The event begins at 8 p.m. on Oct. 8 at the Guadalupe Theater, located at 1301 Guadalupe St.
- Viva Mi Cultura lecture/dance demonstration - The Guadalupe celebrates Día de la Raza with a lecture/dance demonstration featuring members of the Guadalupe Dance Company presenting traditional dances, costumes and music of México at the Guadalupe Theater. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for children and seniors. The event begins at 6 p.m. on Oct. 12 at the Guadalupe Theater, located at 1301 Guadalupe Street.
Celebrations for Hispanic Heritage Month kick off in mid-September because it’s when more than a half-dozen countries celebrate their independence from Spain. Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua celebrate on Sept 15 while Sept. 16, or Diez y Seis, is when Mexico celebrates its independence and Sept. 18 is Chili’s independence day.
Hispanic Heritage Month started as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson in 1968 before morphing into a month-long celebration in 1988 under President Ronald Reagan.