Spanish-speaking students and staff at Oak Lawn Community High School are proud of their heritage and will share it with the larger community during a festival that celebrates Hispanic food and culture.
Sabores Sobre Ruedas, or Flavors on Wheels, will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12 in the student parking lot at 9400 Southwest Highway. The free event takes place just before the start of national Hispanic Heritage month, Sept. 15 to Oct. 15.
It’s the second year for the free festival, which students named, and will include cars decorated by the school and outside community with representations of 21 different Spanish-speaking countries, including Mexico, Spain, Peru and Columbia. The adornments will include traditional dress, crafts, pottery, baskets, blankets, posters or anything the decorators choose to show off about their heritage.
Last year, one student decorated a car with Columbian street art, which she became passionate about the more she learned about it.
“It gives them the opportunity to share their roots, for some of them to learn about their roots,” said Araceli Torres, Spanish Honor Society sponsor. “Just because they’re Hispanic, doesn’t mean they grew up with these roots.”
Torres said though she is of Mexican descent, she didn’t know about Day of the Dead until she was in her 20s.
“It’s also to see that we as a community have so much in common and one of the things that brings us all together is that we share ourselves through food and music,” said Torres, who has taught at the school since 2004. “So we’re inviting the community to see what Latin culture is from the view of the students. I think it gives people a different perspective.”
There will be food representing different Hispanic cultures as well, including some from student entrepreneurs who create their own pastries and sell them online. Another student will feature bouquets of roses with ribbon, which she sells online.
Torres said she also seeks out students and parents who have food businesses, even lemonade stands. Refreshments will include traditional Mexican food, including tamales and a corn and chocolate drink. There will also be student dancing.
Miguel Angel Cruz, vice president of the Spanish Honor Society, was involved last year as a member of the Organization of Latin American Students and said he was excited about the idea for a festival as soon as he learned about it. The co-presidents are Lineth Vallejo and Evangelina Angulo.
“I loved the idea. It was a beautiful thing because it could be the first event for homecoming,” said Cruz, whose family is from Monterey, Mexico. “It was beautiful to see all the culture in the community. It brought memories back.”
Cruz, a member of the class of 2028, said this year organizers will add carnival games to last year’s musical chairs, including popping the balloon, backdrops for photos and a ring toss.
“This year is a carnival theme but we’re still trying to keep the Hispanic culture in it,” he said.
Cruz said school community outreach events for Spanish and Arabic speaking students and families are very popular, with food, dancing exhibitions and more. He has participated by reading his poetry, and he hopes this event will become a community favorite, too.
“If they feel like getting to know another culture outside of their culture, they should definitely come and check out this nice event,” said Cruz. “Forget about what colors we are, we’re all human, and we deserve to have fun,” he said.
Janice Neumann is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
