Discover How Destinations Across the US Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month

Hispanic Heritage Month, held between September 15 and October 15 every year, has been honoring the contributions and culture of Hispanic peoples in the United States since 1968. 

This year, we are highlighting destinations with ties and celebrations to the Hispanic community. From Seattle to Alexandria, these places become richer places to live, work and visit when cultures are welcomed, respected and preserved for generations to enjoy.

Phoenix, AZ

Women dressed in traditional costume for the Desert Botanical Garden's Guelaguetza celebration. (Photo Credit: Desert Botanical Garden)

The city of Phoenix, Arizona, celebrates its own Hispanic heritage with several exciting events from September through October. 

Baseball fans can enjoy the Mexican Baseball Fiesta, held September 26th through the 28th, with top teams from Mexico’s professional league playing at the American Family Fields of Phoenix. 

Nature lovers will enjoy various themed events at the Desert Botanical Garden throughout the month, including Loteria Nights, a Guelaguetza celebration honoring Indigenous Oaxacan traditions and even its own Día de los Muertos celebration, complete with an open-air ofrenda, dancing and more. 

Just a short drive away from Phoenix at the Chandler Center for the Arts is The Mariachi & Folklorico Festival, taking place on October 4th. The festival has been held for 26 years in Chandler, and this year, it’s featuring GRAMMY-winning artist Aída Cuevas. 

Seattle, WA

Performers at the Sea Mar Fiestas Patrias event in Seattle. (Photo Credit: Susan Fried)

Seattle itself is home to many Hispanic and Latino-owned businesses and cultural and arts associations, so it’s only natural that Hispanic Heritage Month is a big one for the city. 

This year, travelers and locals alike can enjoy celebrating the 2025 Sea Mar Fiestas Patrias on September 13-14, a two-day event at the Seattle Center centered around unifying communities through traditional food, music and folk dancing. 

Another special event is the multi-day, multi-venue MEXAM NW Festival, curated by the Consulate of Mexico in Seattle. Celebrating Hispanic and Mexican American culture, there is a wide variety of experiences and events for people to enjoy throughout Hispanic Heritage Month. 

Cinephiles will love the Seattle Latino Film Festival, which has been operating since 2009. Held October 10-18, this festival is the only one of its kind in the Pacific Northwest. 

Additionally, heading into November is when the city celebrates one of the most significant events of the year: Dia de los Muertos. This year will be the 20th annual celebration at El Centro de la Raza on November 1, with live performances and traditional ofrendas. Another celebration, the Dia de Muertos Festival at the Seattle Center, will be held November 1st and 2nd, offering an expanded celebration with colorful face painting, sugar skull workshops, and more.

Tucson, AZ 

Grito de Independencia celebrations in Tucson honor Mexico's Independence Day. (Photo Credit: Visit Tucson)

Like Phoenix, Tucson is also hosting its own Mexican Baseball Fiesta at the Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium from October 2nd-5th, but that’s just the beginning of its Hispanic Heritage celebrations. 

The Presidio San Agustín del Tucson, formerly under Mexican rule for 33 years before being absorbed into the United States, will be hosting a Mexican Independence Day Celebration on September 13th, complete with performances, educational lectures and even a rousing performance of El Grito, the Mexican cry for independence, by a representative from the Mexican Consulate.

Foodies won’t be left out of the celebrations, though! Tucson’s Heirloom Farmers Market is hosting the 23rd annual Roasted Chile Festival, where foodies and families can find some of the best-grown chiles in the country. The festival offers live music, local artisan goods, face painting, freshly roasted chile peppers and more from September 12th-14th. 

Oklahoma City, OK

Fiesta de las Americas includes a large parade, dancers, traditional music and much more. (Photo Credit: Visit OKC)

While Oklahoma City might not be well-known for its Hispanic community, the city itself is incredibly multicultural and celebrates its Hispanic heritage with some special events. 

A new multicultural plaza is coming to Calle Dos Cinco in Capitol Hill, which will feature Talavera tiles, a gazebo stage and colorful art honoring Hispanic heritage. It should become an exciting new gathering space for future events. 

Meanwhile, its largest Latino festival, Fiestas de las Américas, is being held on September 27. With a grand parade, 5k walk and run, live music and dancing, a kids zone, food trucks and art and artisan markets, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. 

Alexandria, Virginia

A mural in the heavily Hispanic community of Arlandria-Chirilauga in Alexandria, Virginia. (Photo Credit: Misha Enriquez for Visit Alexandria)

The Colonial city of Alexandria, Virginia, is home to its own Hispanic community, including Arlandria-Chirilauga, a neighborhood with a large population of El Salvadoran immigrants. There, travelers and locals alike can enjoy traditional cuisine, like pupusas at El Pulgarcito. 

Small businesses are taking part in the festivies. A local art gallery, Del Ray Artisans, will host an art experience combining Hispanic heritage from Spain with a bit of inspiration from famous Spanish artist Antoni Gaudí: the STEAM-tastic: Gaudí Mosaic Lizard class on October 5 will include sculpting a 3D lizard mosaic. 

Alexandria’s City Hall will light up in different colors representing the home flags of many of the city’s residents, including the Honduran flag, the Nicaraguan flag and more. 

Yakima Valley, WA

Tieton's Dia de los Muertos event puts Hispanic culture on full display. (Photo Credit: Yakima Valley Tourism)

Yakima Valley, Washington’s Hispanic community has a lot to celebrate: the region’s agriculture thrives due to immigrant farmworkers from Latin America and Mexico. Today, Hispanic culture is interwoven in the region’s food, art and the fabric of its community. 

From Taco and Tequila Tuesdays at Bob’s Burgers to the Dia de los Muertos festivities, travelers can enjoy a wide variety of experiences celebrating the Hispanic community. 

One such unique activation is the Yakima Valley Taco and Tamale Trail. Highlighting local family-run businesses, the taco trail lists a stunning 27 different eateries in the area for travelers to try, all with a digital passport system that rewards travelers for visiting as many as they can. The reward? A drawing for a variety of free Yakima Valley experiences!  

Tieton Arts & Humanities is hosting the annual Dia de los Muertos festival this year, on October 26. With real marigolds, sugar skulls and a large community ofrenda, travelers and locals alike can honor their ancestors and enjoy a vibrant cultural event. An exhibition at the museum will run from October 26 through November 9.

Florida’s Historic Coast

A horse-drawn carriage drives past the Lightner Museum in St. Augustine, Florida. (Photo Credit: St. Augustine Ponte Vedra VCB)

Hispanic heritage runs old and deep through the heart of Florida’s Historic Coast, home to St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra and other towns. St. Augustine is well known as the oldest continuously inhabited city in the continental United States, established by the Spanish in 1565 as a fortified city.  

Today, the city’s architecture, including the Castillo de San Marcos, echoes its Spanish Colonial past. 

St. Augustine hosts the Avilés Street Festival on September 5 and 6, with live music, flamenco dancing, sword dueling and other Spanish cultural experiences. 

On September 6, the city celebrates its founding with a recreation of the first Thanksgiving meal and historical reenactments at Mission Nombre de Dios. 

Las Vegas, Nevada

Fashion Show Las Vegas is hosting the "You are Beautiful/Tu Eres Hermosa" event for Hispanic Heritage Month. (Photo Credit: Fashion Show Las Vegas)

Sin City is home to a large Hispanic population, and that means the entertainment-heavy destination is serving up a packed schedule of news shows, events and exhibits for Hispanic Heritage Month. 

One such event is the "You are Beautiful/Tu eres Hermosa" event at Fashion Show Las Vegas. From September 12 through October 15, the exhibit will inspire guests with the commemoration of Hispanic culture, Mexican Independence Day and more. The special Independence Day celebration will be held on September 13, with mariachi music, traditional dancing, a DJ spinning Latin pop and more. 

Las Vegas venues will also be hosting Latinx and Hispanic comedians Alfred Robles, Brincos Dieras, and Teo González, as well as Mario Aguilar, throughout the month. Musical performances include Caifanes, Banda MS, Duelo, Matute, Ricky Martin, Pitbull, Chelo, Cuco, and Los Tucanes de Tijuana. 

Other select resorts and entertainment venues will also be offering their own celebrations throughout the memorial month.

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