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SALT LAKE CITY — Hispanic Heritage Month is kicking off early this weekend with the Hispanic Heritage Parade and Street Festival.
The free event takes place 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday at the Gateway. It was first held in 2016 in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month. Scheduling conflicts at the Gateway this year meant the festival had to take place a little earlier than the typical official designation of Sept. 15. to Oct. 15.
Community organizer Luis Rios with Take Care Utah, the nonprofit that organizes the event, said it was created to connect the Hispanic community and help raise awareness that Utah has one of the highest rates of uninsured Hispanic children. Rios said every year Take Care Utah has been able to help Latinos apply for health insurance through the event.
"It's a huge event," Rios said, adding that the festival has drawn about 10,000 people in the past. "It's just a celebration, really."
The parade will begin at 11 a.m. and will feature a March of Countries that showcases different Hispanic nationalities in Utah through music, dance and traditional garb. Individuals and groups can register for free in advance, or the day of, to participate in the parade.
"One thing I've noticed in the past is that relationships get built because people connect and then realize 'Oh, my gosh, I didn't know there was that many Puerto Ricans in Utah,'" Rios said of the march. "We've had in the past where, as we're walking, people will just still see their flag and their people and then they'll just join the group."
There will also be 10 food vendors ranging from Peruvian and Bolivian, to Mexican and Colombian, as well as adult beverages, local artisans, nonprofit and business booths and two stages with family-friendly entertainment, including dance and music performances, Zumba and story-telling. More information about the event is available here.
