ITHACA, N.Y. — Latin Heritage month is kicking off with live music, food and drink specials, the first event of many happening to celebrate the month.
The third annual event is happening Thursday night from 6 – 9 p.m. Thursday at Lot 10, located at 106 S. Cayuga St.
“Events like this are an opportunity to bring everybody together and to really try to work for good — to include everybody in the community,” said Carolina Osorio Gil, director of Cultura Ithaca and board member at Latino Civic Association of Tompkins County.
She said the event will feature live music and DJ Luis Vivanco will play jams into the night.
Luna Street Food also cooked up some Latin inspired food, such as a roasted pig and empanadas, and is donating 20 percent of proceeds to local Latino organizations.
“It’s really a celebration,” Osorio Gil said about the coming month.
Other events happening include a film festival with showings at Cinemapolis and the Cornell Cinema.
The movies, she said, are produced, written or directed by Latinos or Latino-run companies. About half of the showings are documentations that delve into a multitude of social issues, and the other half are fictional movies.
Arte de Justicia — an art show exhibiting work by local and relational Latino artists — is opening Oct. 3, with an official gallery opening happening Oct. 7 as part of a First Friday event.
Osorio Gil said the pieces will reflect social justice themes.
For a complete calendar of events happening during Latin History Month, visit click here.