Published September 29, 2022
Join us for Hispanic Heritage Month at the 2nd Street Market
Heads up! This article was published 2 years ago.
Join us for Hispanic Heritage Month at the 2nd Street Market
The 2nd Street Market will host four days of events Oct. 13-16 featuring Hispanic food, arts and crafts, music, and more.
Hispanic Heritage Month stretches from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15. Americans with Hispanic heritage who have roots in Spain, South America, Central America and the Caribbean celebrate their history and their cultural impact on the United States.
The weekend’s festivities starts on Thursday, Oct. 13, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. with special event Culture Kitchen. Chef Santiago Hernandez of Napales will serve authentic Mexican cuisine. Santiago and his partner, Jennifer Herrera, run Napales, an authentic Mexican food vendor at the Market.
Hernandez served as executive sous chef at the NCR Country Club, where he was on the leadership team for 10 years. He also has cooked with Top Chef runner-up Marcel Vigneron.
Herrera is a graduate of the Sinclair Culinary Arts School. She’s cooked for Pacchia and the Dayton Racquet Club, which were downtown Dayton restaurants, and served as manager of former Market vendor The Chef Case before forming Napales.
Together, they bring authentic Mexican flavors to the 2nd Street Market with an emphasis on fresh, locally crafted cuisines. Napales is open during the Market’s normal operating hours, offering tacos, tortillas, pambazos, tamales, flautas and more.
Thursday’s special program with Chef Santiago Hernandez is limited to 30 participants and costs $25. Register online or by calling 937-275-PARK (7275).
Other programs include:
- Friday, Oct. 14, from noon to 2 p.m.: Colombian art embossing workshop with Martha-Jeanette Rodriguez, a local artist and immigration resource specialist who will work with attendees on embossed wall plaques.
- Saturday, Oct. 15, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Café Con Leche plays Cuban-inspired music.
- Sunday, Oct. 16: Martha-Jeanette Rodriguez will be back to work on traditional Colombian stone paintings with kids, teaching them about traditional Colombian painting techniques on rocks.
Hispanic and Hispanic-influenced music, arts and activities will be part of the free, all-ages events and festivities on Friday through Sunday during the 2nd Street Market’s normal operating hours: Fridays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Originally introduced in 1968 by President Lyndon B. Johnson as Hispanic Heritage Week, the event grew into a month-long celebration on Aug. 17, 1988, when President Ronald Reagan enacted it into law.
Unlike most heritage months, Hispanic Heritage Month begins in the middle of the month because Sept. 15 is the anniversary date of the independence of five Hispanic countries in Central America: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua and Honduras. All gained independence from Spain as a result of The Act of Independence of Central America on Sept. 15, 1821. Mexico and Chile gained their independence 11 years prior on the Sept. 16 and Sept. 18 respectively.
The history of Hispanic culture traces its roots to the Roman province of Hispania, which includes most of the Iberian Peninsula, including the modern countries of Spain and Portugal. (As a side note, contention exists as to whether Portuguese-speaking countries, such as Portugal and Brazil, are included in the umbrella of Hispanic countries or whether Brazil would be strictly Latinx.)
Regardless, Hispanic and Latinx culture in the Americas and in the United States is rich with tradition and history. More than 6,000 people of Hispanic heritage live in the Dayton metro area alone, and more than 60 million live in the United States.
The Hispanic community in Dayton is the third largest demographic in the city and has established various businesses and community programs, such as the Puerto Rican American and Caribbean Organization (PACO), a nonprofit that gives back to the community by awarding scholarships and providing food baskets and toys for 3 Kings Day.
The Market’s four-day event will share and celebrate Hispanic Heritage in and around the Dayton area. All ages are welcome to the free events at the 2nd Street Market, located in downtown Dayton at 600 E. Second St.
All parking near the Market is free and ADA-accessible parking is nearby, with overflow parking in a nearby lot at The Steam Plant, 617 E. Third St.
