By Jaimie Julia Winters
Kearny will honor Hispanic Heritage Month, celebrated from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 each year, with a festival, a food tour, lectures, and more.
To open up Hispanic Heritage Month, the mayor and council celebrated Mexican Independence Day with a flag-raising ceremony in Town Hall Park.
Over the summer, the town celebrated Peruvian and Ecuadorian cultures and the people who call Kearny home.
The celebrations will begin on Saturday, Oct. 4, at Town Hall Park, beginning at noon with a flag raising and festival with food vendors and cultural demonstrations. Historian Harry Franqui-Rivera will give a lecture on Puerto Rican military units from WWI, WWII, and the Korean War.
The library will host a lecture on the history of Puerto Rico and its heritage on Wednesday, Oct. 8, at 6:30 p.m.
Families are invited to Arlington Depot Park to watch “Encanto” under the stars on Friday, Oct. 10, at 7:15 p.m. Bring blankets and chairs.
The Kearny Urban Enterprise Zone will host a Hispanic culinary experience on Saturday, Oct. 11, and Sunday, Oct. 12, with a culinary tour of local eateries. Tickets are $40 and can be purchased at www.beyondtheplatefoodtours.com.
The Kearny American Legion will hold a Salsa and Bachata Social with NJ Salsa on Tuesday, Oct. 14.
PHOTOS COURTESY TOWN OF KEARNY
To open up Hispanic Heritage Month, the mayor and council celebrated Mexican Independence Day with a flag-raising ceremony in Town Hall Park.
On July 16, the mayor and council joined the Peruvian Civic Association of New Jersey for a flag-raising ceremony at Peruvian Heritage Park and at Town Hall in honor of Peru’s Independence Day (July 28). The event recognized the contributions of Peruvian immigrants in Kearny and across New Jersey, and featured vibrant traditional attire and cultural dance performances.
The mayor and council joined the Ecuadorian community for a flag-raising ceremony at Town Hall in celebration of Ecuadorian Independence Day on Aug. 18. Residents of Ecuadorian descent make up about 10% of Kearny’s population.
