By Steven Scarpa, Associate Director of Marketing and Communications
The Yale Peabody Museum's annual ¡Fiesta Latina!, a celebration of Latin American cultures, returns to in-person programming this year with music and other community events.
The celebration will take place September 28 and 29. Junta for Progressive Action will host programming at 169 Grand Avenue, New Haven from 1 to 4 pm on September 28. There will be a day of performances held at the Peabody Museum, located at 170 Whitney Avenue, on September 29 from noon to 5 pm. Programs will be free, community-led, and accessible to participants of all ages.
The event is a collaboration between the Peabody Museum, Junta for Progressive Action, New Haven Pride Center, Arte Inc, the New Haven Free Public Library, and Music Haven. Entravision is the media sponsor.
“Our goal is to celebrate Hispanic culture through community programming and through sharing objects from the Peabody’s collections about those cultures. The aim is to move this from a one- day event, to a series of events throughout Hispanic Heritage month at various community venues, which culminate in a weekend at Junta and at the Peabody Museum,” said Andrea Motto, YPM’s director of education.
“We at Junta for Progressive Action are thrilled to continue our collaboration on this celebration of Latin American cultures. This event is a powerful reminder of the rich heritage that unites our community, and we are excited to bring everyone together for a weekend filled with music, dance, and cultural exchange,” said Cheila Serrano, Director of Programs at Junta for Progressive Action.
The festivities will begin at noon with a performance by Proyecto Cimarron, a Puerto Rican Bomba performance group. The Spanish Community of Wallingford’s youth mariachi band and dance troupe, committed to preserving the cultural heritage of Mexico, will take the stage at 1:30 pm. Tere Luna, a singer who specializes in the romantic genre of bolero music, will perform at 2:30 pm. The show will conclude with Orquesta Afinke, a salsa band based in Stratford, CT.
All performances will take place in the Peabody Museum’s new Central Gallery, a bright and open space featuring an epic battle between an Archelon (a large prehistoric turtle) and a Mosasaur, a fearsome prehistoric fish, high in its rafters.
“Together, we will celebrate the breadth of identities in the Latinx community in and beyond New Haven. We hope to foster connection and solidarity through education, performance, storytelling, and hands-on cultural activities,” Motto said. "We are so delighted to have this opportunity to continue the vital partnership with Entravision that has been so impactful for one of our most celebrated community programs."
SEPTEMBER 29 PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
12:00-1:00- Proyecto Cimarron
1:30-2:00- Spanish Community of Wallingford Youth Mariachi Band and Dancers
2:30-3:00- Tere Luna
3:30-5:00- Orquesta Afinke