Hispanic Heritage Month

• 1 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 24
• Oak Park Public Library Veterans Room, 834 Lake St.
• Author Prisca Dorcas Mojica Rodríguez will visit the Veterans Room at the Oak Park Public Library for a discussion on her book “For Brown Girls with Sharp Edges and Tender Hearts,” and more.
• The visit is presented in collaboration with Oak Park Township, the Oak Park Public Library and the Oak Park Latine planning committee.
• Registration is now closed as the event is at capacity and the waiting list is full.

• 6 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 28
• Oak Park Public Library Veterans Room, 834 Lake St.
• As part of Oak Park's Hispanic Heritage Month celebration, a community roundtable discussion centered around the theme of prosperity, progress and power will be held in the Oak Park Public Library’s Veterans Room. Complimentary refreshments will be served. The panelists for the discussion are Juan Muñoz and Nora Sanchez. Find more information about the panelists below:​

Erika Bachner dedicates her time and energy to social justice, diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in her local community.  As a resident of River Forest and the Village’s first Latina Village Trustee, she has helped to advocate and pass legislation making River Forest a “Welcoming Village” in 2017, worked with Maywood to set a “Twin Village Covenant” – setting a platform for deeper partnerships between the two villages and townships in 2020-21, and developed and chaired the 46-member DEI Advisory Group to the River Forest Village Board, which was named Villager of the Year in 2022. In the past three years, she has stood up for LGBTQIA+ visibility and rights, with passage of ordinances for a Pride Flag raising, and coordinating with the School District 90 for inclusion and pride celebrations at the Town Hall. Whether it’s expanding the definition of what it means to be Latinx/Latine in America today, facilitating discussions on race, colorism and anti-blackness with POC groups or working for the residents of River Forest, she understands the importance and gift of being able to amplify change-making, intersectional ideas and voices that others try to marginalize.

Esther Lopez has 15 years in the field as a passionate, patient-centered dentist and public healthcare and health equity advocate dedicated to prioritizing people’s overall health and wellbeing. She divides her time between running her Oak Park, Illinois-based practice, Healthy Tooth Dental, serving as an adjunct professor at University of Illinois Chicago’s College of Dentistry, and volunteering as a dentist and co-chair of the Dental Advisory Committee at RefugeeOne, a Chicago-based non-profit agency that helps refugees, asylum seekers and immigrants resettle into the U.S. Whether serving patients in her private practice or a non-profit clinic, Dr. Lopez is known for evidence-based, prevention-focused, and highly personalized dentistry, making her much beloved in the community. She joins her patients as a collaborative partner, fully committed to improving their overall health by providing a safe space that allows them to receive holistic and compassionate care over their entire lifetime. Dr. Lopez is a member of the American Dental Association, Chicago Dental Society, Illinois State Dental Society and the Hispanic Dental Association. In addition to working directly with patients, Dr. Lopez vigorously pushes for policy reform to make dental care more accessible to those who need it most. Her research has been published in the Journal of Public Health Dentistry and presented at national and international conferences.

Juan Muñoz is a 1.5 generation Mexican-American and has been a resident of Oak Park since 2017, where he lives with his wife (Monica), two children (2yr and 3mo), and mother (Maria). He is currently VP of Business Development at Kribi Coffee. He also serves on the Board of Directors, as the Vice President, of Great Kids Inc., a non-profit partnering with early childhood development programs. He holds a B.A. in International Relations and Spanish from Minnesota State University and brings over a decade of strategic business experience to his professional roles. 

Nora Sanchez, the Latine Language & Culture Librarian at Oak Park Public Library, is passionate about bridging cultural gaps and language barriers. In her role, she curates resources and services that cater to patrons' language learning and cultural enrichment needs for and about the Latine community. Originally from the vibrant arts community of Pilsen, she draws inspiration from her upbringing. Beyond her work, she cherishes time spent with family, walks with her puppy, trips to museums, and of course, reading!

Isabela Flores is a junior at Dominican University double majoring in mathematics and Spanish.  She is a proactive and studious student who always looks on the bright side of any situation. Beyond her studies, some of Isabela's hobbies are playing the violin with the Symphony of Oak Park and River Forest, walking, and spending quality time with her mom and grandparents.

Armando Gonzalez is a chef and the owner of Oak Park restaurant Amerikas.

• 6 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 4
• Tacos '76, 838 Madison St.
• Join the Village's Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for a community conversation about the Village's language access needs at Tacos '76 (838 Madison St.).

• 2-6 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 7
• Village Hall south lawn
• Fun for the whole family awaits at the Village’s ¡Viva Festival! planned for Oct. 7 on the south lawn at Village Hall. The daytime event will feature food, activities for kids, entertainment, face painters and activities for kids, piñatas and much more.
  • ​Schedule of Events:
    • 2 p.m. - ¡Viva Festival! begins; Opening Remarks from Latine Planning Committee and Village staff
    • 2:15 p.m. - Spanish Language Kids' Storytime with Kathy Valdivia
    • 2:15 p.m. - Performance from ESSO
      • ESSO is a multicultural live music band from Chicago. The group made a splash by leveraging their influences and invoking polystylistic sounds from the same urban streets that birthed House music, and potent movements in slam poetry, punk rock, and free jazz. Drawing on these raw influences, the band effortlessly fuse Latin roots music with modern Americana into a rhythmic sancocho filling dance floors and providing ample evidence of Chicago’s presence as a hotbed of creative new music in the States. This inner city big band of rotating members has unsealed a kaleidoscopic repertoire propelling them to perform for concerts and festivals alongside Grammy winning artists.
    • 2:45 p.m. - Piñata activity
    • 3:15 p.m. - Peruvian Dancers
      • The Center of Peruvian Arts connects audiences and students to the Indigenous cultures of Peru through performances, educational programming, and participatory workshops. Through these practices, the organization is committed to promoting Indigenous Peruvian knowledge and wisdom, and cultivating skills in collaboration, coexistence, and social awareness. Serving the Chicagoland area, the Center of Peruvian Arts strengthens the community’s identity to their Indigenous Peruvian counterparts. 
    • 3:45 p.m. - Piñata activity
    • 4 p.m. - Performance from Mariachi Sirenas
      • Mariachi Sirenas is proud to represent the genre of mariachi music in the Windy City. As Chicago’s First All-Women Mariachi, the group is ahonored to be a part of the community of strong women working together to promote the folkloric arts of Latin America. Mariachi Sirenas was founded by members Ibet Herrera and Eréndira Izguerra, both with a dream to bring women together for the art of mariachi music in their hometown. ¡Que viva la mujer y nuestra tradición Mexicana, si señor...a!
    • 4:45 p.m. - Piñata activity
    • 5 p.m. - Closing Remarks from Latine Planning Committee and Village staff
    • 5:15 p.m. - Loteria activity with prizes!
    • 6 p.m. - ¡Viva Festival! ends

• 6 p.m., Friday, Oct. 13
• New location: Madison Street Theater, 1010 Madison St.
• The Village’s Hispanic Heritage Month celebration wraps up the evening of Oct. 13 with a screening of Disney’s Encanto. Originally planned to be held outdoors, the free event has been moved to the Madison Street Theater due to inclement weather in the forecast. Join us for a fun-filled movie night and get ready to be enchanted by the magical world of Encanto! Admission is free, however, registration is encouraged as space is limited - click here to register. Popcorn has been generously donated by Wells Street Popcorn!