Waukegan, Illinois (September 15, 2022) – The Waukegan Park District will celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with several programs and events from Thursday, September 15, 2022 to Saturday, October 15, 2022. The special programming will honor Latinxs and their contributions to arts, culture, and history.
The following programs will be offered during Hispanic Heritage Month:
- Local Latinx History on the Waukegan History Museum Companion App available on Thursday, September 15, 2022 (Free)
- Hispanic Heritage Month Family Swim Night on Saturday, September 17, 2022 from 4pm to 6pm at the Field House Sports, Fitness & Aquatics Center
- Parents’ Night Out on Friday, September 23, 2022 from 5:30pm to 9pm at the Field House Sports, Fitness & Aquatics Center
- Sugar Skull Workshop on Saturday, October 1, 2022 from 10am to 12pm at the Jack Benny Center for the Arts (Free)
- Zumba Night: Celebrating Latin Hits on Wednesday, October 5, 2022 from 6pm to 7pm at the Field House Sports, Fitness & Aquatics Center (Free)
- Sugar Skull Workshop on Saturday, October 8, 2022 from 10am to 12pm at the Jack Benny Center for the Arts (Free)
- Sugar Skull Workshop on Saturday, October 15, 2022 from 10am to 12pm at the Jack Benny Center for the Arts (Free)
According to the National Archives, Hispanic Heritage Month began as “Hispanic Heritage Week” under President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1968 and expanded to “Hispanic Heritage Month” under President Ronald Reagan when it was enacted into law in 1988. September 15 is the start of Hispanic Heritage Month because it is the independence day for multiple Latin American countries, including Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Mexico’s independence day is on September 16 and Chile’s independence day is on September 18.
More information about the Waukegan Park District’s special programming during Hispanic Heritage Month is available at waukeganparks.org/herenciahispana.