Culture transcends borders, said Danny Soriano, surrounded Friday night in a popular Crossroads coffee shop by music, dance, art, food, and drinks that all shared a common link: Latino flavor.
Enrique Chi performs with Making Movies at Café Corazón during “A Night Without Borders”; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News
“Whether it’s Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Argentina, we all come together as Latinos, as Hispanics, and celebrate our heritage,” said Soriano, who organized a celebration alongside Café Corazón — Kansas City’s first Latin and Indigenous coffee house and roastery — to mark Hispanic Heritage Month.
“A Night Without Borders” brought together organizations like Latinx Education Collaborative and Eye of an Immigrant — along with a surprise performance by Latin Grammy-nominated Kansas City rock band Making Movies — for the final First Friday of the season.
“Honestly, with everything going on right now, we wanted to bring the community together for something special,” said Soriano, a local artist who also performed at the event, “to make sure that we show — not only our heritage — but showcase our traditions, and make sure that it continues to live on here in Kansas City.”
The festive event was a collaboration across communities and cultures, noted Dulcinea Herrera, a through-line Café Corazón tries to embody at its three locations, which she runs with her parents, Miel Castagna-Herrera and Curtis Herrera. The business was one of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce’s Top 10 Small Businesses in 2025.
Café Corazón decked out for October’s First Fridays festivitieis and “A Night Without Borders”; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News
“At Café Corazón, we really encapsulate all of Latin America,” she explained. “Even though I am half Argentinian and then also Mexican and Mescalero Apache, we still try to encapsulate Peru, Panama, Uruguay, different countries, so that everybody feels special and at home.”
Danny Soriano shares a laugh with event-goers during his DJ set at Café Corazón during “A Night Without Borders”; photo by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu, Startland News
“We’re both from completely different backgrounds,” Soriano added, noting Herrera reached out to him about doing an event. “But it’s Hispanic Heritage Month and we wanted to do something big.”
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While snacking on empanadas and tamales and sipping on yerba mate and coffee drinks, guests were serenaded by performances from local artists Soriano, Maday, and Making Movies, who collectively draw inspiration for their music from their Mexican, Salvadorian, and Panamanian roots.
The night also included a traditional dance performance by Grupo Folklorico Itsï-Asuli, art by Bryan Vazquez, plus various vendors like pottery artist Alba Laredo.
“We’re really big on First Fridays,” Herrera shared. “We always do something fun and special. With it being Hispanic Heritage Month, we wanted all our vendors to be Latin, indigenous, as well as the performances. We really wanted to encapsulate the vibe.”
