Nearly 700 community members, public officials, students, faculty and staff members enjoyed the first Hispanic Heritage Festival held by Purdue University Northwest (PNW) on Oct. 15.
The theme of PNW’s Hispanic Heritage Festival was community. The festival marked the culmination of PNW’s celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month.
The festival featured free food from local restaurants, a DJ, live traditional dancing, a market, crafts for the kids, and more. The event was originally planned to take place outside in the center of PNW’s Hammond campus, but due to the threat of rain, PNW moved it into sheltered space in the university’s 169th Street parking garage.
Catalina Rodriguez, interim assistant vice chancellor for Educational Opportunity Programs at PNW, helped put together this festival because she wanted to represent the Latinos within the community.
“Our most recent incoming class was over 24% Latino,” said Rodriguez. “Our community is very visibly Latino, so this festival is just a way of celebrating and having a beautiful night with family and friends.”
Oscar Lara, a PNW senior and intern for Hispanic Heritage Month, was tasked with helping Rodriguez market the festival.
“We wanted everyone in the community to be involved,” Lara said. “That was our main goal, we wanted not only PNW students to enjoy this event, but the entire community.”
The desire to involve the community and bring so many people together facilitates forming relationships between PNW and the surrounding community.
“Honestly, I’m most excited about the relationships; the ones that have formed and the ones that will be forming as a result of tonight,” said Rodriguez. “I’m just really looking forward to our future.”
The festival included a market where PNW departments, student organizations, and community organizations could buy and sell goods. PNW wanted to highlight vendors from the community and bring them more visibility through the event. Poco Picoso, a small community candy shop run by Vicki and Jerry Muñoz, was part of the festival market.
“We’re just trying to bring a flavor that normally isn’t found over here in Indiana and let everyone try it,” said Jerry Muñoz.
The PNW Spanish Club was at the festival, and Co-Faculty Advisor Tom Roach was excited about how positive the festival is for the community.
“An event like this is great for community relations,” said Roach. “It’s great that people are learning about Latino culture, Mexican culture, and other cultures throughout Central and South America.”
To learn more about Purdue University Northwest, visit www.pnw.edu.
