The city of Milwaukee is gearing up to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, a month dedicated to honoring the contributions and impact of Hispanic and Latino communities on American culture.
Hispanic Heritage Month runs each year from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, and several events will be hosted around Milwaukee to celebrate throughout the month.
Here’s how you can participate in the festivities:
2025 Hispanic Heritage Month City-wide Kickoff – Sept. 12
Deer District, 1134 N. Vel R Phillips Ave.
The Hispanic Collaborative will be hosting its fifth annual citywide Hispanic Heritage Month kickoff in the Deer District on Friday, Sept. 12, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.
The collaborative will dedicate an hour to four different Latino regions, with food and music to represent each, according to event organizers:
Viva Nuestra Herencia Festival 2025 – Sept. 13
S 16th Street Cesar Chavez Drive
The Cesar E. Chavez Business Improvement District (BID) will host its Viva Nuestra Herencia Festival on Saturday, Sept. 13, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. The event is free for all visitors.
The event’s name translates to “long live our heritage,” and it aims to celebrate the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month on Milwaukee’s south side.
“This event honors the rich cultural heritage, diversity and contributions of the Hispanic community in Milwaukee,” said Sinai Mendoza-Zarate, executive director of the Cesar E. Chavez BID.
The event will host live musical performances and a variety of food vendors. It will include a low-rider car exhibition and a pop-up skate park for community members to enjoy, Mendoza-Zarate said.
True Skool, a youth arts and culture nonprofit, has designed a community mural that will be painted during the festival, as well.
Hispanic Heritage Month at the Milwaukee Public Museum – Multiple Dates
Milwaukee Public Museum, 800 W. Wells St.
The Milwaukee Public Museum (MPM) will host several events throughout the month to honor and celebrate Hispanic and Latino history.
“This Hispanic Heritage Month, we are celebrating the extraordinary diversity within Latin American identities — from Indigenous ancestry to African traditions and European influences, these cultures have blended to create something vibrant and unique,” said Adriana Vázquez, MPM’s Director of Education & Public Programs, in a press release.
The museum will have two main celebrations, called Celebración Latina, to kick off and close the month. Plus, the museum will host educational events on weekdays for visitors.
Celebración Latina – Cultivating Raíces (Roots):
To start the month, MPM will host its first Celebración Latina, titled Cultivating Raíces, or “roots,” on Saturday, Sept. 20, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The event features performances by Cultura Viva, a dance group that showcases the music and rhythm of Afro-Latin and Caribbean dance.
The first performance will begin at 11:30 a.m., and another will begin at 1 p.m. in the Steigleder Special Exhibits Gallery on the second floor of the museum.
Celebración Latina – Hands-on Heritage:
The second Celebración Latina is titled Hands-on Heritage and will take place on Saturday, Oct. 11, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Throughout the exhibits, Museum visitors will be able to connect with Latino artists and makers to learn more about their craft and gain some cultural knowledge. Museum goers can participate in the crafts, including “repujado” or metal embossing, macramé, embroidery and more.
“By partnering with community members for our Hispanic Heritage Month events, we are sharing and celebrating living culture — not just what is preserved in the museum’s galleries, but what is still practiced every day,” Vázquez said.
Educational opportunities at the MPM:
Throughout the month, the museum will host free onsite learning on Wednesdays and Fridays. The topics include:
Hispanic Heritage Month at the Milwaukee Public Libraries – Multiple Dates
Multiple locations
Several Milwaukee Public Library branch locations will be hosting events for adults and children. Some of these events include:
3rd St. Market Hall Takeover: A Cultural Celebration – Oct. 9
3rd St. Market Hall, 275 W. Wisconsin Ave.
The Latino employee resource groups at BMO Commercial Bank, UW Credit Union, the Brewers, Kohl’s and Mercado MKE will host a free cultural celebration on Thursday, Oct. 9, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the 3rd St. Market Hall at 275 W. Wisconsin Ave.
The market hall space will be taken over by the celebration and will host DJs, vendors, food trucks, musical performances, a live flamenco performance and more.
The event is an example of how Latino professionals and organizations across the city are coming together to uplift and celebrate culture and community, according to a BMO Commercial Bank spokesperson.
Alyssa N. Salcedo covers Layton Boulevard West for the Journal Sentinel’s Neighborhood Dispatch. Reach her at asalcedo@gannett.com. As part of the newsroom, all Alyssa’s work and coverage decisions are overseen solely by Journal Sentinel editors.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Here’s where you can celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month 2025 in Milwaukee
Reporting by Alyssa N. Salcedo, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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