A few years ago, Kearny First Ward Councilman had a goal to make Hispanic Heritage Month, celebrated from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 each year, something special. With Zapata gaining the assistance of the Mayor and Town Council and scores of volunteers — it is happening yet again and there is plenty for residents to choose from in the coming days and weeks.
First, let’s look at a calendar of upcoming events.
Coming up on Oct. 4 at noon, a Hispanic Heritage Month flag will be raised at noon at Town Hall Park, 402 Kearny Ave. Local organizations and food vendors will be on hand, with a community-resource fair. There will also be cultural presentations as well. Attendees should also expect a demonstration of Peruvian, Ecuadorian and Brazilian capoeira.
On Oct. 4 at noon, a historian will speak about the history of segregated Puerto Rican miliary units from World War I, World War II and the Korean War. The event, called “Puerto Ricans in the US Military: Manhood, Equality, Belonging, Patriotism and Resistance,” will address the origins of Puerto Rican service in the US military while addressing long-standing myths such as “citizenship for service” while highlighting the struggles for equality and belonging the soldiers experienced in and out of uniform. Harry Franqui-Rivera, will deliver the lecture.
Then, on Oct. 8, at 6:30 p.m. at the Kearny Main Library, 318 Kearny Ave., it’s La Borinquenera, a lecture on the history of Puerto Rico and its heritage.
Two days later, on Oct. 10 at 7:15 p.m. at Arlington Depot Park, bring your family, blankets and chairs for a screening of the hit Disney movie, “Encanto.” There’s no charge for the event — and you can expect vendors to be on hand. The Greeks are usually open during special events at the park, as well. Cartoons will be played for the kids before the movie kicks off.
On Oct. 11 and 12, it’s Kearny Kravings, a special Hispanic Heritage culinary tour of local eateries, sponsored by the Kearny Urban Enterprise Zone. Tickets are $40 and may be purchased on the UEZ’s website at www.kearnynj.org. Visit www.beyondtheplatefoodtours.com for more details.
Then, on Oct. 14, at the Kearny American Legion, Belgrove Drive, it’s a special Salsa and Bachata Social. NJ Salsa, a group that offers classes and socials across New Jersey, will put on the event.
And last, but hardly least, on Oct. 16, head on over to the weekly Kearny Farmers Market on Garfield Avenue, adjacent to the main library, for a 2 p.m. performance by Latin guitarist Jesse Rivera.
For Zapata, though there is an exceptional amount of behind-the-scenes work to put a month of activities like these together, it’s worth it when he sees how well received the events are and how it brings the Hispanic/Latino community together.
“Kearny has such a large Hispanic population as you know, so being pro-active is important,” Zapata said. “And with so much going on in the world —all of the hateful rhetoric we see — it’s even more important to celebrate Hispanic Heritage.”
And that’s exactly what will happen in the coming days. Enjoy it!
Learn more about the writer ...
Kevin A. Canessa Jr. is the editor of and broadcaster at The Observer, an organization he has served since 2006. He is responsible for the editorial content of the newspaper and website, the production of the e-Newspaper, writing several stories per week (including the weekly editorial), conducting live broadcasts on social media channels such as YouTube, Facebook, and X, including a weekly recap of the news — and much more behind the scenes. Between 2006 and 2008, he introduced the newspaper to its first-ever blog — which included podcasts, audio and video. Originally from Jersey City, Kevin lived in Kearny until 2004, lived in Port St. Lucie. Florida, for four years until February 2016 and in March of that year, he moved back to Kearny to return to The Observer full time. Click Here to send Kevin an email.