Hispanic Heritage Month
Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month
September 15 – October 15 — a month to honor the histories, cultures, and contributions of Americans whose roots reach back to Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America.
Every fall, communities across the country come together for National Hispanic Heritage Month. What began as a week-long observance in 1968 under President Lyndon B. Johnson was expanded to a full month in 1988 under President Ronald Reagan — thirty-one days to celebrate the generations of Hispanic and Latino Americans who have shaped and strengthened this nation.
Why does the month start in the middle of September? The date is no accident. September 15 marks the independence day of five Latin American countries — Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Mexico celebrates its independence on September 16, Chile on September 18, and Belize on September 21. Starting mid-month lets the celebration line up with some of the most important dates on the Latin American calendar.
Here in mid-Missouri, Hispanic Heritage Month is more than a history lesson. It’s a chance to celebrate our neighbors — the families, workers, business owners, artists, and students who make our community stronger every day. At Como Comunidad, we believe community works best when we build bridges, and this month we’re inviting all of Columbia to walk across one with us.
¡Celebremos juntos! (Let’s celebrate together!)
Ways to celebrate
Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with us — here’s how to jump in:
Celebrate with Us
The First Annual Hispanic Heritage Festival
¡Fiesta! Columbia, get ready — Como Comunidad is throwing a party, and everyone’s invited.
Join us on October 3rd, 2026 for our first-ever Hispanic Heritage Festival — a free, family-friendly celebration of the music, dance, food, and traditions of Hispanic and Latino culture. Whether you grew up dancing cumbia in the kitchen or you’ve never heard a mariachi trumpet in person, this festival is for you.
The festival is open to the public, and all are welcome — bring your family, your neighbors, your coworkers, and your appetite. Come celebrate, learn, and connect. This is what community looks like.
Care Package Drive & Fundraiser
All month long: celebration means showing up for each other. Throughout Hispanic Heritage Month, SEPT 15 – OCT 15, Como Comunidad is collecting donations to build care packages for local families — filled with pantry staples, household essentials, and baby supplies. Every item donated goes directly to neighbors here in mid-Missouri.
Two easy ways to give: bring your items to the Hispanic Heritage Festival on OCT 3 (look for the donation baskets), or you can arrange a drop-off at our offices by emailing us at hola@comocomunidad.org. Prefer to give financially? Every dollar helps us fill the gaps.
What We’re Collecting
Pantry & Kitchen Staples (nonperishable)
- Rice (white or long-grain) and dried or canned beans — pinto, black, red
- Masa harina / corn flour (Maseca), all-purpose flour, and sugar
- Cooking oil, salt, and seasonings — sazón, adobo, cumin, oregano, chili powder
- Chicken or tomato bouillon and dried chiles
- Canned tomatoes, salsa, canned corn, and canned peppers (jalapeños, chipotles)
- Pasta and fideo (thin noodle) packs, lentils, and oats
- Canned tuna or chicken, and peanut butter
- Coffee, hot chocolate (Abuelita/Ibarra-style tablets), and shelf-stable, evaporated, or powdered milk
- Maria cookies, crackers, and shelf-stable snacks for kids
Household Essentials
- Laundry detergent, dish soap, and multi-purpose cleaner
- Toilet paper and paper towels
- Trash bags and reusable grocery bags
- Manual can openers (a small item that makes a big difference!)
Personal Care & Hygiene
- Shampoo, conditioner, and bar soap or body wash
- Toothbrushes, toothpaste, and floss
- Deodorant, razors, and lotion
- Feminine hygiene products
Baby & Little Ones
- Diapers — all sizes, but sizes 4–6 are always in shortest supply
- Baby wipes and diaper rash cream
- Unopened, in-date formula and baby food
- Baby wash, baby lotion, and infant blankets
- New socks and onesies
Extra credit: grocery store gift cards, gas cards, and kids clothing store gift cards (example: Once Upon a Child) are always welcome additions to a care package.
🤝 Host a Donation Drive — Partner with Us
Want to multiply the impact? Rally your church, business, school, or organization to host its own donation drive during Hispanic Heritage Month. We’ll make it easy — our partner page has everything you need: printable flyers, item checklists, collection box signs, and tips for a successful drive. You collect, we distribute, and together we take care of our community
Celebrate at Home
The festival is one day — the celebration lasts a month (and honestly, why stop there?). Here are our favorite ways for families to explore Hispanic and Latino culture from your own living room, kitchen, and neighborhood.
Read: Our Recommended Book List
Stories are one of the best bridges between cultures. Here’s a shelf’s worth of our favorites — picture books for little ones, novels for big kids and teens, and powerful reads for adults, including honest, moving stories about the immigrant experience. Most are available at the Daniel Boone Regional Library.
For little ones (picture books)
- Alma and How She Got Her Name by Juana Martinez-Neal — how one long name holds a whole family’s history
- Dreamers by Yuyi Morales — a mother and son’s immigration story, told with breathtaking art
- Where Are You From? by Yamile Saied Méndez — a beautiful answer to a complicated question
- Too Many Tamales by Gary Soto — a Christmas tamale-making mishap the whole family will love
- My Papi Has a Motorcycle by Isabel Quintero — a joyful ride through a girl’s neighborhood with her dad
- Mango, Abuela, and Me by Meg Medina — a granddaughter and grandmother find their way across a language gap
- Paletero Man by Lucky Diaz — a rhythmic, joyful chase after the neighborhood ice-pop cart
For big kids (middle grade)
- Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan — a beloved classic about a girl who loses everything and builds a new life as a farmworker in California
- Efrén Divided by Ernesto Cisneros — a boy holds his family together after his mother is deported
- Merci Suárez Changes Gears by Meg Medina — a Newbery Medal winner about family, school, and growing up Cuban American
- Miss Quinces by Kat Fajardo — a graphic novel about a girl, her quinceañera, and figuring out who you are
For teens
- I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sánchez — family expectations, grief, and finding your own path
- Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo — two sisters, two countries, one shared loss, told in verse
- In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez — the real-life Mirabal sisters who resisted a dictatorship
Watch: Family Movie Nights & More
Pop the popcorn (or make some churros). These films celebrate Hispanic and Latino culture — start with the whole-family favorites, then graduate to the powerful true stories for older kids and adults.
Whole-family favorites
- Coco (2017) — Pixar’s love letter to Mexico, family, music, and Día de los Muertos
- Encanto (2021) — a magical Colombian family and the granddaughter who holds them together
- The Book of Life (2014) — a gorgeous animated adventure through Mexican folklore
- Vivo (2021) — a music-loving kinkajou’s journey, with songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda
- Ferdinand (2017) — the gentle bull who would rather smell flowers than fight
- Dora and the Lost City of Gold (2019) — everyone’s favorite explorer, live-action style
- McFarland, USA (2015) — a California farm town’s cross-country team runs its way into history
- Spare Parts (2015) — four undocumented high schoolers build a robot that beats MIT
- A Million Miles Away (2023) — The journey of Jose Hernandez, a migrant farmworker who achieved his dream of becoming a NASA astronaut.
Understanding the immigrant journey
- Under the Same Moon (2007) — a nine-year-old crosses the border to find his mother
- A Better Life (2011) — an Oscar-nominated portrait of a father’s sacrifice for his son
- Underwater Dreams (2014) — the documentary behind the Spare Parts story
Family Bingo Challenge: ¡Celebremos!
Ready to make it a game? Print our Hispanic Heritage Family Bingo card and see how many squares your family can complete between September 15 and October 15. Five in a row — across, down, or diagonal — is a BINGO. Complete the whole card, and you’re officially a Celebración Champion.