Celebrate Latino & Hispanic Heritage Month this year, Utah! Events are being held across the state throughout September and October to celebrate unity, opportunity, and the contributions of our Latino & Hispanic Community.
What is Latino & Hispanic Heritage Month?
Latino and Hispanic Heritage Month is a national and annual celebration of the history and culture of Latino and Hispanic communities since 1968 (History.com). This celebration spans from September 15th to October 15th, honoring the opportunities, influence, and contributions of Latin American and Spanish-speaking people, integral to the fabric of our nation as a whole as well as our state. This set of dates is intentional, as it captures various independence days (Mexico, Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua) and special holidays significant to Latin American countries (National Hispanic Heritage Month).
In Utah, the Hispanic and Latino population is Utah's second largest racial and ethnic minority population at nearly half a million Utahns (492,912) in 2020. This group grew by 134,572 people, increasing from 13.0% of the population in 2010 to 15.1% in 2020 (Kem C. Gardner, 2021).
What are the Terms?
The terms Latino, Latina, and Latine refers to a person with heritage or origin tracing back to Latin America—regardless of race. Hispanic refers to people with a background from a Spanish-speaking country.
Eager to learn more? Check out the National Hispanic Heritage Month page for educational materials, books, videos, and articles.
Governor's Hispanic Heritage Month Declaration (Coming Soon)
Explore Events Across the State
Review the growing line-up of events across the state of Utah commemorating Latino & Hispanic Heritage Month! View the full event sheet here. Have additional events to share? Email us.
The Utah Division of Multicultural Affairs provides information from cultural groups as a public service, but the opinions expressed by those groups or on their websites should not be assumed to reflect the views of the division or state government.
KSL News: Ideas for Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month in Utah
Various Times, Various Locations
Utah Hispanic Heritage Parade
September 9th
Salt Lake City, UT
Mi Gente: Millcreek City
September 16th
Millcreek, UT
Celebracion Sinfonica: Utah Symphony
September 18th
Salt Lake City, UT
Venezuelan Alliance of Utah
Mexican Consulate in Salt Lake City
Thank you to various community organizations for sharing these events. *Please visit each event's website to verify time, location, and any questions. This is a general overview of events and does not capture all details.
Mosaic Reflections from the Community
"Being Latina means that I have the love, roots, and cultural traditions of several before me leading down a hopeful future. It means my story is varied, mixed, rich, and capable of so much connection and unity. It means being a first-generation American and raising a young bilingual and multicultural family that can thrive in the duality of two worlds. It means defying odds and upholding the spirits of my ancestors, continuing to blaze the path that got me to where I am today."
To start off the 2023 celebration, the Mexican Consulate in Salt Lake City hosted the first Sones de Mariachi: Mariachi Competition and Exhibition at the Utah State Capitol. It was an atmosphere filled with love and appreciation for the skilled musicians.
"To me, being Latino is equivalent to being communal, always living with solidarity in mind, and honoring my family's sacrifices and traditions the best I can. I try to do this by understanding the histories of my ancestors in Central America, whose stories of resilience motivate me every day."