The Naperville Sister Cities Foundation is hosting its third-annual Hispanic Heritage Festival at Central Park in downtown Naperville on Sept. 16 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Celebrating sister cities and the Hispanic community
The free event was created three years ago to celebrate Hispanic culture, communities, and relationships tied to Naperville.
“We thought it was appropriate because we have two sister cities that are Hispanic, we have a Hispanic population in Naperville, I believe that is five or seven percent, and so we thought, what a wonderful opportunity to share music, culture, food, education, and business of our sister cities,” said Patty Gustin, Vice Chairwoman of the Naperville Sister Cities Foundation.
Naperville currently has three sister cities: Pátzcuaro and Cancun, both in Mexico, and Nitra, Slovakia.
Food and vendors
Foods at the fest will include Mexican cuisine like tacos from Yerbabuena, tamales from Tickle My Tamale, and authentic drinks from Olga’s Aguas Frescas, along with a variety of other vendors.
“Le Chocolat is not Hispanic but they will be doing chocolate tacos and chocolate enchiladas and they’ll be candies,” said Gustin. “So we do have some twists, but most of it is authentic Hispanic food.”
There will also be a marketplace selling items of Hispanic heritage.
Music and entertainment
On the entertainment side, the festival will feature music from Mariachi Los Gavilanes De Chicago and dances performed by Ballet Folklorico Quetzalcoatl, a Mexican folk dance troupe.
“So [the festival is] really growing leaps and bounds and people really enjoy it because people get up and dance like the kids,” said Gustin. “Little kids that aren’t Hispanic and have no background in it are up there dancing and just being exposed to the culture, the music, the food, and just having a good time.”
Family fun activities
This year, the DuPage Hispanic Alliance is hosting the children’s area which will feature activities involving arts and crafts.
There will also be Andy Warhol-inspired art and a Frida Kahlo cutout where guests can put their heads in and take pictures as Kahlo and her husband.
About Naperville Sister Cities
The Sister Cities Commission partners with Naperville’s sister cities to create relationships through education, cultural exploration, trade opportunities, economic development, and communication.
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