Hispanic Heritage Month is coming to an end, but the celebrations are far from over.
Columbus City Council member Lourdes Barroso de Padilla and City Council’s Columbus Latine/Hispanic Heritage Month Committee (LHMC) will host its third-annual Latino Heritage Art Show this Friday to close out the month in a showcase of local Latino creativity, culture and community.
The festival, which will take place at Blockfort Gallery, 162 N. Sixth St., will feature an art exhibit by local Latino artists, live performances and a series of vendors and interactive spaces for guests. According to the Columbus LHMC Facebook post, the event is open to anyone looking to experience the rich diversity and talent within the Latino community.
National Hispanic/Latino Heritage Month started halfway through last month (Sept. 15-Oct. 15) to combine the independence days of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Mexico and Chile.
Columbus’ Hispanic community celebrated the start of the holiday the day before, on Sept. 14, with the annual Latino Heritage Month Parade and Festival that started on Civic Center Drive and finished at City Hall.
For this art festival, performances will include music by Roberto Escamilla and Mezclado, a salsa party by Dj_aloha, ballet by Folklorico Xochihua and opera by Cynthia Lopez Olaya.
Interactive art experiences will feature a community mural with Cat Ramos, vejigantes — or clown-like — masks with Carol Padilla and decorated shadow boxes known as Día de los Muertos nichos with Renee Zamora.
The event is from 6 to 10 p.m. Street and surface-lot parking is available.
