North Charleston Celebrates Its First Hispanic Heritage Month
NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. – What a lovely day it was in North Charleston as the city held its very first Hispanic Heritage Month celebration! From mouth-watering food vendors to an exciting art market and lively music, this event surely kicked off with a bang. The Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated from September 15 to October 15, and North Charleston pulled out all the stops to make this occasion memorable.
A Community Comes Together
Hosted by the city’s cultural arts department, the celebration took place in their brand new facility, which adds to the specialness of the day. One of the best parts? Admission and parking were absolutely free for everyone! Now, who doesn’t love a good deal?
Throughout the day, folks enjoyed salsa demonstrations courtesy of the Holy City Salsa Dance Studio, and performances from talented musicians like Gino Castillo and the Cuban Cowboys. “Mayor Reggie Burgess asked us to try to come up with something to celebrate our strong Latin community in North Charleston,” shared Kyle Lahm, director of the cultural arts department.
Art and Culture on Display
It didn’t just stop at food and music! Local artist Steph Frx created a unique art installation for the celebration. Titled an ofrenda, or altar, this installation pays homage to loved ones for the traditional Mexican holiday, Día de los Muertos. Visitors can check out this beautiful offering at the Park Circle Community Building until November 2. How cool is that?
Steph, who has called South Carolina home for ten years, mentioned, “Honestly, I’m super honored because I’ve lived in South Carolina for ten years and the first three were a little bit hard. I was moving around a lot and it really wasn’t until I moved here to North Charleston that I really felt there was a sense of community.” It’s heartwarming to see how much the community means to her!
Looking Ahead
With this fantastic celebration in the new space, city officials are hopeful about continuing to host more events for the community in the future. “The city is proud to be home to lots of folks from around the world, but we know we have a large population of folks from the Latin community from many different countries,” said Lahm. “We felt it was time to do something in this beautiful space that would be special to them and to the surrounding neighborhoods.” This way, everyone can feel included and appreciated.
As the first Hispanic Heritage Month celebration wraps up, it’s clear that North Charleston is taking great strides in embracing diversity and fostering connections among its residents. Events like these highlight the importance of community spirit and cultural recognition, and we can’t wait to see what the future holds!
