Centro Hispano distributed more than 2,000 toys, books and hygiene supplies on Jan. 17 as part of the community center’s annual Three Kings celebration which brings together Latino families and community members across Dane County.
Founded in 1983, Centro Hispano serves as a community and resource center for Madison’s growing Latino population. This year’s celebration highlighted both a cultural tradition widely observed in Latin American countries and the organization’s expanded capacity in the organization’s new building.
The event was made possible through Centro’s partnership with Toys for Tots, the Madison Metropolitan School District Play and Learn Program, the Madison Reading Project and additional toys purchased by Centro Hispano to ensure the entire community was served.
Making an impact in the community
Beyond the annual Three Kings Celebration, Centro Hispano provides year-round support to the Latino community through youth programming, immigration and family services, higher educational programs and physical and mental health resources.
The organization also hosts the Mercadito, a recurring market featuring local restaurants and produce stands, crafts and raffles with prizes — a community favorite event that has helped launch small businesses in Madison.
Jovan Chavez, Centro Hispano’s Mercadito and volunteer lead, pointed to Sabor de Puebla, a Mexican restaurant with two Madison locations, as a place that got its start as a food stand at the Mercadito.
“It was just a local community member chef. She was whipping up her favorite recipes, local and regional, from Mexico,” Chavez told The Daily Cardinal. “Year by year, through the Mercadito, she would come back and keep growing a following, and that inspired her dream to start her restaurant.”
Preserving cultural traditions with ‘joy and community’
Three Kings Day, also known as Dia de los Reyes Magos, holds deep cultural significance for many Latino families and is often celebrated as a prominent holiday in addition to Christmas. Chavez reflected on his own childhood experience and why continuing it in Madison matters.
“I would ask about gifts. My mom would tell me you have to wait for Three Kings Day,” he said. “You’d wake up and there were gifts under the bed. It’s a fun tradition that a lot of Latino families celebrate, and the Reyes Magos can still find you in Madison, Wisconsin.”
Families attending the event had the opportunity to meet and take photos with the Tres Reyes Magos after the families received their gifts, a moment organizers said reinforces both cultural preservation and community belonging.
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Events Manager Bianca Baker emphasized the celebration is intentionally inclusive.
“Tres Reyes is really big in a lot of Latino culture,” Baker said. “U.S. Christmas is so popular, so we decided to focus on Tres Reyes to bring those traditions and cultures here. You don’t have to be Latino to participate, so we have a lot of other community members who come, and it can be something they learn about as well.”
Throughout the day, staff, volunteers and families filled the new building with music, food and conversation — a reflection of Centro Hispano’s broader mission, Chavez said.
“Centro continues to demonstrate this is a resource center and also a community center for folks,” Chavez said. “Being able to recognize a big holiday that a lot of Latino families celebrate and can continue to celebrate here is really special.”
Baker added that the event shows Centro Hispano’s role as a space of connection and celebration.
“We can be a space of joy and community despite whatever else is going on in the world right now,” she said. This is a space for anyone.”
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