¡Celebración de la Herencia Hispana!
Hispanic Heritage Month, celebrated annually from September 15 to October 15, is in full swing, with annual local events that showcase the cultures, flavors, voices and arts of the places our Osceola Hispanic community.
If you weren’t at the Osceola County party on Sept. 17, or the Kissimmee city event on Sept. 22, you missed a good time—and a better meal.
And, timed well during the month-long celebration, the city of Kissimmee unveiled a new sign on Sept. 23 that officially re-named Ruby Plaza at Lakefront Park to the Bill Hansen Plaza. It’s named in honor of Guillermo “Bill” Hansen, the former owner of the Osceola Star Hispanic newspaper who passed away in July 2023. His larger-than-life presence was his powerful voice for a Hispanic business community he represented well as a board member and small business trustee for The Osceola Chamber and Valencia College that saw the creation of the Hispanic Business Council, Viva Osceola and Three Kings Day celebrations.
Together, the events underscored how Hispanic Heritage Month is being observed at both the county and municipal levels in a community where Hispanic culture is a major part of Osceola’s population, approaching 60% Hispanic, and civic identity.
The county event, held at the Osceola Heritage Park Extension Services building, was a straight-up party that included food and the Latin beat of the C’Nergy Band.
At the city’s fiesta, art, student performances, and dancing to the salsa beat were the order of the evening. The celebration featured performances by students from the Osceola County School for the Arts, and the opening of the Hispanic Heritage Month Art Exhibition along the walls of City Hall. The exhibition showcases the talent of local Hispanic artists Windelis Martinez, Carlos Granela, ay Galdos, Jorge Rojas, Kristen Caravias-Reyes, Nelson Cardenas, Rafael Delgado, Rossy Sanchez and Ida Robles through Nov. 13.
At its formal meeting that followed, the Kissimmee City Commission also presented a Hispanic Heritage Month proclamation to Casa del Artesano, recognizing the organization for providing a space for artisans, artists and community members to celebrate Hispanic heritage through traditional arts, crafts, education and cultural expression.
Upcoming Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations in Osceola County include:
Oct. 2: Foreign Language Immersion School in Celebration will host a schoolwide parade at 9:30 a.m. in which every classroom, starting at age two, represents a different Hispanic country.
Oct. 11: ¡Viva Osceola!, the largest Hispanic festival in Osceola County, is back at the Kissimmee Lakefront Park festival lawn on Sunday, Oct. 11 from 1-7 p.m. Musical acts Los DPR, Luifer Cachazo, Mexico Lindo Orlando and headliner Michael Stuart, a salsa artist from Puerto Rico, will bring the energy.
