Mariachi Nuevo Amanecer performs at last year’s Hispanic Heritage Month celebration. Submitted.
More activities and a new venue for the event’s second year
Door County’s second annual Hispanic Heritage Month celebration will highlight Hispanic culture with hand-decorated piñatas, mariachi music and authentic eats on Saturday, Sept. 27, 11 am – 4 pm at John Miles County Park, 916 N. 14th Ave. in Sturgeon Bay.
In the United States, Hispanic Heritage Month is recognized from the middle of September to the middle of October, celebrating Hispanic and Latino culture, history and community. Hispanic and Latino are often used interchangeably in the U.S., but they have different meanings based on language and geography. Hispanic refers to people from Spanish-speaking countries, while Latino refers to people from Latin America.
The free event has grown from last year, moving from Peterson Park next to the Sturgeon Bay YMCA to the larger county fairgrounds. Organizer Moi Zahler hopes the cultural music, activities, food and art will give attendees of all ages something to enjoy.
“We really want to make this a fun family event,” he said.
In addition to happenings at last year’s celebration, like soccer games, gaga ball and lotteria – a traditional Mexican board game like bingo with pictures instead of numbers – this year’s event will feature a climbing wall, a clown, a magician and other new activities, Zahler said.
The two mariachi groups that performed last year – the more traditional Mariachi Nuevo Amanecer and the more contemporary La Nueva Tendencia – will return, and salsa dancing lessons will be offered.
“Even if you haven’t heard it, that music tends to get you moving, even if you really don’t want to move,” event organizer Edward Gonzales said.
The event is collaboratively hosted by 10 local organizations, including Health and Human Services of Door County (HHS), the United Way of Door County, the YMCA and local schools. A Hispanic Heritage Committee reaches out across these groups to plan the annual celebration. Hispanic and Latino individuals in Door County make up 3.8% of the population, according to 2020 Census data, up from 2.4% in the 2010 Census.
Plans for the celebration first came together in 2023 after former HHS supervisor Donna Alpeter attended a Hispanic heritage celebration in Kewaunee, which also highlighted resources for the Hispanic and Latino community in the area.
“I was thinking it would be good to have a place that is celebrative, safe and full of information,” she said.
The resource fair connected to the upcoming celebration highlights organizations that serve the entire community, like Door County Public Health and the United Way of Door County, as well as resources designed specifically for the Hispanic community, like the Latino Emergency Assistance Fund of Door County.
Pamphlets and paperwork have also been translated into Spanish for accessibility.
“Putting out that these things [resources] are available for you in your language to come and understand is the most important thing,” said Gonzales, who pointed out that navigating many such resources can be a challenge even without a language barrier.
Over 30 organizations plan to show up and hand out information at the event, according to Alpeter.
If not for the wealth of resources or variety of entertainment, the Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration is worth checking out for the food alone. Several restaurants will serve authentic Latin cuisine, including local favorites like Gloria’s, Mauricio’s, Old Mexico and Taqueria Neri, as well as visitors like Birrieria La Cabañita from Green Bay and Tino’s Bakery from Appleton.
For a full schedule of events and a list of vendors, visit doorcountyparents.com/hispanic-heritage-month-celebration.