The city of Prairie Village’s first-ever Hispanic Heritage Month celebration promises food, dancing and community.
Under the guidance of resident Lilian Valdez, the city’s diversity committee is hoping to bring the community together to highlight Prairie Village’s Hispanic community.
Valdez —who moved to Prairie Village in 2017 from Los Angeles — acknowledges the city’s history and reputation as an overwhelmingly white community. Still, she hopes this inaugural event can foster a sense of community among the city’s Hispanic population. Valdez noted that 2020 U.S. Census data shows more than 1,000 Hispanic people in the Prairie Village community of nearly 23,000.
“I’m hoping this brings a little bit of joy, a little bit of hometown feel from where they came from or maybe family feel from how you grew up, and just trying to foster that in Prairie Village,” Valdez said.
The first-ever Prairie Village Hispanic Heritage Month event is from 5 to 8 p.m. on Sept. 21 at Harmon Park.
This event intends to build community
- Valdez said her vision for Prairie Village’s first-ever Hispanic Heritage Month event is to make it “a little bit more catered to the people who are affected locally” compared to larger celebrations around the metro area.
- Valdez said moving from another city or country is already isolating, and a lack of representation of one’s culture in a new place adds to that feeling.
- A Hispanic Heritage Month event in Prairie Village allows residents and the workforce to celebrate their culture without having to seek it out in other parts of the metro area, she said.
- “Like most of the (Hispanic) residents in Prairie Village, I have to go to [Kansas City, Kansas] to get my groceries or I have to go somewhere else to get pupusas,” Valdez said. “It’d be nice to have it (the event) here in Prairie Village in one of our parks.”
Education, performers, food are all in the mix
- Valdez said Grupo Folklórico Alma Tapatia, a Mexican folklore dance troupe, is kicking off the performances at 5:30 p.m. with a 30-minute set.
- There will also be free food from several local restaurants, including pupusas from El Pulgarcito in Merriam and croquetas and platanos fritos from La Cubana in Kansas City, Missouri.
- Educational books about Mesoamerica, information about a Spanish-immersion program in the Shawnee Mission School District, and artifacts from different countries will also be available during the event, she said.
- “It’s just a little thing for us to get together, have a little bit of dance, have a little bit of food and maybe provide each other with a little bit of resources,” Valdez said.
Other ways to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month
Hispanic Heritage Month runs from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, encompassing the independence days of several countries like Costa Rica and Mexico.
There are several ways to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month in and around Johnson County, including the following events:
- Lenexa Public Market celebration — The Lenexa Public Market is hosting a Hispanic Heritage Month celebration from 6 to 10 p.m. featuring a live Latin band, Mexican food trucks and a Colombian dance performance.
- Folklore — A Hispanic Heritage Month event featuring performers from 5 to 8 p.m. on Sept. 26 that will award $10,000 grants to 10 small businesses.
- Walk and Read — From Sept. 28 to Oct. 6, the Johnson County Arts & Heritage Center is hosting a walk and read event featuring “Pepe and The Parade: A Celebration of Hispanic Heritage.”
- Hispanic Heritage Month celebration — The Johnson County Arts & Heritage Center is hosting a celebration from 6 to 8 p.m. on Oct. 2 featuring musical performances, food samples and a community art project.
- Conversation with Silvia Moreno-Garcia — The Johnson County Library is hosting a conversation with best-selling author Silvia Moreno-Garcia at 6 p.m. on Oct. 9. Registration can be found online here.
- Latinos in the Heartland exhibit — Johnson County Museum’s virtual exhibit Latinos in the Heartland showcases the Latino community and its roots in the Kansas City area. You can explore the exhibit online.
Keep reading community events news: Fall fun and pumpkin patches around Johnson County — What to do and where to go?
