Hispanic Heritage Month in Philly: 25+ Events & Fests for 2023

Visit Philadelphia celebrates the city’s vibrant Hispanic and Latino community with “Hispanic Voices,” a TV spot defying Hispanic misconceptions and highlighting 35 Philly locals — spanning 10 different Latin cultures and a wide range of industries. “Hispanic Voices” explores the intersection of race, ethnicity and identity, and shows Philly off as a welcoming and inclusive place for all.

Through Sunday, October 15, 2023 (select dates)

Break out the lawn chairs for FDR Park’s first-ever Spanish language film series (with English subtitles). The series includes screenings of Maya and the Three (September 24), Vivo (October 8) and Coco (October 15), along with all-day celebrations featuring live music, prizes, and a food and crafts market by Latino artists and vendors. Films and performances are free, food and drink are pay as you go, and RSVPs are encouraged.

Through Saturday, October 21, 2023

Renowned painter Patrick McGrath Muñiz blends Spanish iconography, pop culture and tarot in a new exhibition at Taller Puertorriqueño in North Philly. Through 30 new Baroque-inspired paintings, Muñiz’s exhibition depicts worlds affected by climate change, an oversaturation of digital communication and more by reconceptualizing colonial Spanish roots in the modern age. Get a deeper look and hear from the artist at the official opening reception on Friday, September 15, 2023 (RSVP required).

Through Sunday, December 17, 2023

How do we define “home”? North Philly-born artist David Antonio Cruz’s new exhibition at the Institute of Contemporary Art explores the love, joy and possibility found in one’s chosen family. When the Children Come Home features works in multiple mediums — dreamlike paintings, stylized sculptures, live performances and more — all centered around Philly and its Black, Brown and LGBTQ+ communities. Admission to the attraction is free.

Opens September 7, 2023

Close your eyes and take a journey into the Amazon during this immersive sound installation at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Designed to look like a traditional communal hut, and featuring audio produced via a collaboration by musicians, linguists and the indigenous people of the Amazon, El Origen de la Noche tells the myth of how night was created, using storytelling, chants, music and the sounds of nature.

Back for its third year, Latin America Thrives brings together dozens of Latino entrepreneurs, businesses, nonprofits and community leaders for a free festival at the iconic LOVE Park. The fest features live musicians and performers, vendors selling authentic food and handmade goods, and plenty of dancing.

September 8 & 22 and October 13 & 27, 2023

Tonight, we dance! Learn to dance salsa and bachata with old and new friends at this semimonthly dance class at FDR Park’s boathouse. After a one-hour lesson from an experienced dancer, show off your new moves at the social dance. Tickets are required.

This late-summer/early-fall fiesta is a daylong celebration of Latino arts, education and community. The celebration takes place on the streets and sidewalks of the historic neighborhood known as the center of Latino culture in Philadelphia — aptly named El Centro de Oro (The Golden Block). The event features dozens of artisans and crafters, community agencies and local food vendors. The all-ages festival also features a kids-only area with plenty of family-friendly activities.

Celebrate Mexican Independence Day (officially Saturday, September 16, 2023) at this Sunday celebration on the waterfront — part of PECO’s free multicultural series. Expect a party atmosphere and a day full of authentic Mexican food, art and live music.

Bring the niños for a day full of special Hispanic Heritage Month programming at The Franklin Institute. The jam-packed day includes a live weather science show by Emmy award-winning anchor Janet Bolívar, music performances by Latin jazz mambo band Un Toque de Cache, a cell identification activity with Janssen R&D and more. Activities are included with general museum tickets.

The Golden Block celebrates the first (official) weekend of Hispanic Heritage Month with a night full of food and fun. The festivities include live music and entertainment, food trucks, a karaoke competition (with prizes!) and special neighborhood walking tours in both English and Spanish (RSVP required). The night market is free to attend, food and drink are pay-as-you-go, and tours are pay as you wish starting at $5.

Join Esperanza Arts Center and Opera Philadelphia for this community art celebration featuring Latin food, kid-friendly activities, live music performances and an outdoor screening of Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel (with Spanish and English subtitles). The event is free and open to the public, but registration is encouraged.

Head to the last session of this Latin arts and crafts pop-up market for handmade goods and clothing, tasty food by Philly Tacos, and other local creations. After loading up at the vendors, join in on family-friendly artmaking activities at the ColorWheels van. The market is free to attend, with pay-as-you-go food and merchandise available.

Cap off your summer with tasty offerings from some of the city’s top Latino-owned restaurants during Dine Latino Restaurant Week. The deal? One free appetizer or dessert with the purchase of two dinner entrées from participating local eateries. This fall, you can also check out a special chef’s tasting event featuring Latin American-Jewish fusions by author and chef Ronit Treatman (September 21, 2023 — RSVP required). Past Dine Latino Restaurant Weeks had over two dozen Latino-owned restaurants and cafes get in on the fun, with flavors inspired by Puerto Rico, Mexico, Korea, the Mediterranean and more. For updates and a list of this year’s restaurant week participants, keep an eye on the official site or the Dine Latino Instagram.

Saddle up. Seamlessly bridging rapid-fire bars, traditional Mexican folk music and iconic Southern hip-hop beats, “grito ranchero” rapper That Mexican OT rides his Lonestar Luchador Tour straight through the City of Brotherly Love.

A special cinema series hosted by diversity-first cinema and film publication cinéSPEAK pops up in West Philly’s Clark Park on select Fridays this year, with free weekly outdoor screenings which highlight independent films featuring diverse voices from around the world. Events are accompanied by local DJs, food trucks and more. On September 22, look forward to Marcel Camus’ 1959 film Black Orpheus / Orfeu Negro. BYO blankets and chairs, and registration is suggested.

Enjoy an evening of cinema, dance and community conversations during this year’s De Cerca in North Philly. The night begins with the premiere of Moving Words — a new film about movement and the drama of everyday life in Philadelphia — and leads into a series of ballet performances. The event concludes with a bilingual audience discussion led by Puerto Rico Classical Dance Competition founder and artistic director Blanca Huertas-Agnew, featuring the Latina dancers of the Philadelphia Ballet. Tickets are required.

¡Wepa! Thousands of spectators line the Benjamin Franklin Parkway for this annual parade and celebration of Latino culture. More than 1,500 marchers make their way down the parkway each year, performing traditional Latino music, poetry and dance. The theme for the year’s event is “A Celebration of Latino Culture in the Heart of the City.”

Serenade the start of fall with Latin Grammy Award-winning artist Kany García. The Puerto Rican singer-songwriter/gay icon is known for her husky tones and her genre-blending albums, spanning pop, folk, cumbia, soft rock ballads and more.

This ticketed event — organized by the Association of Mexican Business Owners of Philadelphia — features signature dishes from some of its member restaurants, as well as original artwork and cultural activities. Participants include Alma del Mar, Adelita’s Restaurant, Mole Poblano Restaurant, Taqueria Morales and more.

Argentinian guitarist Alejo de los Reyes strums creative and musically expressive tunes during this hour-long soirée at The Athenaeum. Accompanied by tango singer Paula Serrano and Shinjoo Cho on the bandoneon, Alejo weaves classical guitar and traditional Argentine folk music together for a night of profoundly passionate pieces. Tickets are required, with light refreshments and hors d’oeuvres available starting at 5 p.m.

Witness the work of top-tier Latin American and Caribbean mixologists during the fourth installment of the ever-popular Latinx Industry Night series. Co-sponsored by Visit Philadelphia, the public is invited to grab a bite, support underrepresented voices and indulge in exclusive culturally inspired cocktails — this time from the bartending masters at Post Haste, Charlie was a sinner, Jean-Georges Philadelphia and Vintage Wine Bar. The event is free to attend and open to anyone, with pay-as-you-go food and drinks.

A tragic love story told through classical ballet and traditional Spanish dance, Carmen heats up the stage at the Academy of Music. The performance is choreographed by Ángel Corella, who is widely regarded as a Spanish national treasure and one of the top dancers of his generation.

In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, Power Street Theatre hosts a multicultural festival of art and music in the heart of North Philly. Alongside food trucks, craft beer and art vendors, the fest features three performing arts stages. Set up lawn chairs at the outdoor main stage, featuring musicians, live bands, musical theater and comedy shows; step indoors for the open mic stage, with poetry, spoken word, visual art and more; or bring the kids to the children’s stage, offering games, free books, arts and crafts, face painting, and jam sessions. Tickets to the festival are pay what you want, and food and drink are pay as you go.

The fifth annual Latin Book Fair at Taller Puertorriqueño connects Latino authors, illustrators and designers to Spanish-speaking readers of all ages throughout the city. The event — which traditionally features book launches, live storytelling and musical performances — is a daylong celebration of language, heritage and culture.

Remember that scene in Coco that made you cry? Ready to experience it with a 20-person Latin orchestra? Backed by a live performance of the Oscar and Grammy Award-winning soundtrack, the Coco Live-to-Film Concert at the Kimmel Center features a screening of the family-friendly film, which tells the story of a Mexican boy traversing the extraordinary Land of the Dead to pursue his dream of being a musician. Tickets are required.

It’s not easy being an actor. And director. And screenwriter. And media host. (Did we miss anything?) But popular Chilean comedian Fabrizio Copano makes it look easy — while still hitting the stand-up stage to bring the laughs.

Inspired by the Aztec festival of the dead, Huey Mikailhuitl, this free Day of the Dead workshop and celebration of life brings tons of fun to FDR Park. The evening features a sugar skull-making art workshop, an Aztec dance performance, an altar-building demonstration, an illuminated bike parade, and both free and pay-as-you-go food. The workshop and events are free, but supplies are limited and RSVPs are required.

Mexican pop-rock band Maná cranks up the volume in Philly on their México Lindo y Querido Tour. With four Grammys, eight Latin Grammys and dozens of other awards under their belt, the group is one of the best-selling and most successful Latin American performers of all time.

Philadelphia’s vibrant, multiethnic and multiracial Latino population makes the city a hub for delicious Latin food. Award-winning Mexican restaurants, date-night Cuban bistros, family-owned Puerto Rican spots and Pan-Latin hotspots bring life (and great tastes) to neighborhoods throughout the city. Residents and visitors can support Latino-owned restaurants while sampling authentic eats, including James Beard Award-winning Mexican tacos at South Philly Barbacoa, Central American street food at El Merkury and Argentine alfajores (think: traditional dulce de leche sandwich cookies) at Jezabel’s.

Anyone looking to support the Latino community — or find the perfect gift — can discover artisan crafts, small-batch delicacies and more at one of the many Latino-owned shops, boutiques and galleries in the city. Pick up a new instrument (and maybe even catch a pop-up jam sesh) at Centro Musical, explore handcrafted and imported treasures at ChocoArte, or enjoy an art exhibition while you read works by Latino authors at Taller Puertorriqueño’s Julia de Burgos Bookstore.

From ancient Mayan artifacts to contemporary crafts and paintings, Latino art thrives in Philadelphia. Reflect on immigrant experiences at South Philadelphia’s Aqui y Alla mural, marvel at intricate Mexican mosaics inside Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens, or be wowed by remnants of the past inside Penn’s Museum’s Central American & Mexican Gallery. Check out our full guide to exploring Latino art in Philadelphia.