Hispanic Heritage Month events planned in Tuscarawas County

National Hispanic Heritage Month is Sept. 15 through Oct. 15, and there are numerous events and opportunities to participate locally, thanks to the partnership of a half dozen local organizations. United By Culture is offered to bring members of the community together for a better understanding of Latino and Mayan neighbors. Most events are free and all are open to the public.

The Dover Public Library, Tuscarawas County Public Library, Fourth and Faith, Tuscarawas County YMCA and Puentes are all working together to make sure there is plenty to do, with corporate sponsorship supplied by Dover-Phila Federal Credit Union. 

Stretching for the full month are story walks at both Dover City Park and Southside Community Park in New Philadelphia, said Jenny Dallas, executive assistant at the county YMCA. “You’ll be able to just walk through either of the parks and read excerpts from hispanic heritage themed books as you go.” 

Wednesday, Oct. 8 at 5 p.m. will see a cooking demonstration at the Tuscarawas Valley Farmers Market with Hispanic themed dishes. 

A scavenger Hunt is planned by the county YMCA through Sept. 12, said Jeff Bray, youth and family director there. “We have bingo cards at the Y that you can take out into the community to find the locations listed. They are areas and locations that kind of celebrate or highlight Latino and Mayan culture. You can then turn that back in and we hope people will take pictures when they visit those spots. Those photos will then be featured at our Welcome Week, where people who visit can see that kind of community support for their culture.” Send photos to jeff@tuscymca.org. 

See “The Long Game” at Quaker Cinema in downtown New Philadelphia Sept. 4 at 6:30 p.m. The movie tells the true story of a golf team formed in the 1950s and made up of young Mexican-American students. Tickets are available at the theater for $10. The movie night is also a part of the theater's annual film festival. 

Come to Fourth and Faith on Wooster Avenue in Dover to begin a walking tour of taqueria and tiendas in downtown Dover. The tour begins at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 5. “It’s hopefully a way of tearing down those barriers people might feel,” said Bray. “If you maybe feel a little nervous about visiting those local businesses, there will be guides to help out.” 

NPact Multicultural Festival is set for Saturday, Sept. 6 from 1-6 p.m. in downtown New Philadelphia with fun for the whole family, entertainment and food trucks. Dallas pointed out that the festival is truly multicultural. “It’s not just latino, but other cultures as well,” she said.

Lluvias De Gracia church will offer open services for the community at their location in the 200 block of North Walnut Street in Dover Sept. 7 at 2 and 4:30 p.m. 

Back at the county YMCA, a Community Voices Panel discussion begins Sept. 8 at 6:30 p.m. Questions may be submitted anonymously in a box in advance for what promises to be an informative evening moderated by Jeff Bray.

The YMCA will also host a Welcome Week Sept. 12-20 with events all week long, listed at tuscymca.org. 

Latina women will bring a fashion show to Fourth and Faith Sept. 13 at 6:30 p.m. Participants will share the cultural significance of their traditional clothing, explaining intricate patterns and stitching. 

Oct. 6 brings the chance to get to know your neighbors at 6 p.m. at the Tuscarawas County Public Library. Meet a local business owner and hear the experiences that brought them here, while finding parallels with the story told in “My Side of the River” by Elizabeth Camarillo Gutierrez. The book is the focus of this year’s One Book, One Community, which culminates with an evening with the author Nov. 3 at 7 p.m. at Founder’s Hall, Kent State University at Tuscarawas.