Watch our full 2026 Project CommUNITY special: Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month
Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates the contributions of Latino and Hispanic communities across the U.S.
In this Project CommUNITY special, community members in our region are highlighted through art, entrepreneurship and cultural history.
Those featured in this special include artists, business owners, and event organizers who bring together their community.
- Watch the full special in the video above or learn more about those featured below.
1
Corremos Sacramento celebrates Latino culture, community with every step
Corremos Sacramento welcomes people of all ages, backgrounds and experience levels to its weekly gatherings.
Corremos means “we run” in Spanish.
Founder Dalia Ramirez-Robles said the Latino-led club is designed to be about much more than logging miles.
“We want people to feel safe here, so we really create a fun cultural experience, but then also feel that family familiarity, like we’re hanging out at a carne asada, but we’re also going to go for a walk or a run,” Ramirez-Robles said.
2
Sacramento sisters honor family legacy with dried fruit business
Three sisters in Sacramento are turning their family’s agricultural history into a thriving business with Stained Glass Fruit, a company that transforms California-grown citrus into dried slices for beverages.
The sisters—Andrea Nunez Lorente, Adreana Nunez Alvarez, and Jeanette Nunez—grow, dry, and package oranges, lemons, and limes in California’s Central Valley. Their goal is to enhance drinks with what they call “nature’s edible works of art.”
For the Nunez sisters, the business is about more than just selling dried fruit—it’s about honoring their family’s legacy.
Learn more from Lisa Gonzales.
3
From childhood drawings to McDonald’s cups: Sacramento artist takes Chicano art to national brands
Cecelia Perez, a Sacramento native and the artist behind “Hey Ruca,” has built a growing national profile, creating work for brands and organizations including the Sacramento Kings and San Francisco Giants. Her work has also been featured at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington, D.C.
Perez’s artwork features girls, cars, flowers and other imagery inspired by Chicano culture.
“I illustrate girls, cars, flowers — anything that really relates to Chicano iconography that people can really recognize,” she said.
One of Perez’s biggest collaborations began with a mural she designed at a McDonald’s on Pacific Avenue in Stockton.
4
Sacramento artist brings Latino history to life with elaborate Southside Park mural
Sacramento artist Richard Alcala is turning a neighborhood park into a living history museum, using colorful murals to celebrate Latino culture, honor community changemakers and inspire future generations.
Alcala recently opened Cultura Bookstore on Del Paso Boulevard to share his love of Latino literature with the community. But when he’s not busy at his new shop, you’ll likely find him at Southside Park, where he has spent years working to bring Sacramento’s rich cultural history to life.
After a three-year effort to get the project approved, Alcala hired 10 local Latino and Indigenous artists to create 13 mural panels.
The elaborate mural took four months to complete and features colorful artwork highlighting Indigenous history, the Chicano movement, farmworkers and prominent Latino figures who have made a difference in the community
5
Latino seniors celebrate culture and connection at Sacramento’s Hart Senior Center
Nearly 90 Latino seniors gather at the Hart Senior Center in Sacramento for “Club Los Manitos,” a weekly celebration of life, culture, and community that has been thriving for nearly three decades.
The club began with just 10 members and has grown significantly over the years. The group has become a vital source of connection and support for its members.
“When it started, it was like 10 people when my mother-in-law was here, but now it’s like 100. It grew throughout the years,” said Martha Hernández Salazar said.
