Port Washington will celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with its first ever town-wide event on Sunday, Oct. 9 from 2 to 5 p.m. at Blumenthal Family Park. This family event comes to you courtesy of the Parent Resource Center in partnership with Landmark on Main Street and the Port Washington Public Library.
Classic salsa, merengue and cumbia songs will be played by La Orchestra Los 9 del Sabor, a Latin American band with a repertoire that includes hits by Marc Anthony, Celia Cruz and Sonora Dinamita. The first intermission will feature Port Washington’s dance and language instructor Yolotzin Terrazas’s students in ages 4-10, performing the Encanto hit, “No Se Habla de Bruno.” The second intermission will feature a dance number by Port Washington dance studio, RuDance.
Food vendors, including Smusht and the Cochinita Porky food truck, will serve up some sweet and savory Latin American inspired dishes.
The Port Washington Public Library, PRC and the Science Museum of Long Island, among other local civic and not-for-profit organizations, will provide crafts and activities for the children that will celebrate some of the unique cultures that make up Latin America. Some of the fun in store includes face-painting, making Dia de Los Muertos masks and live animals native to South and Central America.
The Landmark on Main Street will be presenting Profiles on Main Street, a pre-event discussion taking place at the Jeanne Rimsky Theater with two of the event’s honored guests: New York State Secretary of State Robert Rodriguez and New York State Chief Diversity Officer Julissa Gutierrez. This round table discussion will be hosted by Liz Blacker, Port Washington resident and VP of Business Development at TelevisaUnivision. The candid conversation will focus on their careers, background and influences and will be tailored to a middle-, high school- and college-aged audience, although all are invited to attend the conversation.
This celebration would not have been possible without the support of PRC Executive Director Nicole Asselta and co-presidents Michael Bitalvo and Jacklyn Robbins; plus the creativity, hard work and direction of PRC board members and community residents, including Diana Delgado Kollar, Joseph Delerme, Karla Panameno, Deborah Roth and Kim Ilardi.
The HHC committee thanks its partners the Port Washington Public Library and Landmark on Main Street, plus the generous support of its sponsors, without whose help this event would have been possible: the Madruga Family, the Delerme Family, Marcie Zack of Laffey Realty, Flatiron Pediatrics, R&G Floral Design and Events, JLS Cost Management Systems, Delgado Travel and Language with Yoli. All funds raised will go towards the Hispanic Heritage Celebration and any additional money will go towards the PRC’s Stepping Stones educational program.
For more information about the Hispanic Heritage Celebration, please visit the Parent Resource Center’s website or social media profiles on Facebook and Instagram. To learn more about the Profiles on Main Street event please visit the Landmark on Main Street Website.
About the PRC: The Parent Resource Center (PRC) is a not-for-profit organization in Port Washington that has been an integral part of the community for over forty years. Our mission is to bring together families with young children to play, learn, grow, and make life-long friendships. Children and their caregivers make their first connections in a welcoming, safe, and inclusive environment.
About Landmark on Main Street: Landmark on Main Street, Inc. is the product of more than ten years of visionary planning and dedicated work by the citizens of Port Washington. It developed out of a commitment to preserve an historic landmark, the Main Street School, and to enhance community life. A unique model of community development, Landmark is a collaboration of civic-minded individuals, government, business, and not-for-profit organizations all sharing the belief that a community’s commitment to a richer cultural, recreational, civic, educational and social life and the celebration of diversity benefits the quality of life for all.
About the Port Washington Public Library: The Port Washington Public Library has been serving the community since 1892 when it was housed in a local family’s front parlor. Today it is a modern service oriented institution. The library serves the Port Washington School District and is funded primarily by local taxes levied on real estate. There is no charge for school district residents to join.
—Submitted by
the Parent Resource Center
