Happy National Hispanic and Latinx Heritage Month! Historically, this annual observation started in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson; it was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to span a 30-day period from September 15–October 15, coinciding when many Latin American countries celebrate their national independence days.

The Levitt Foundation honors and celebrates the rich cultures and diversity of Americans whose ancestors hail from Mexico, Spain, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. Their contributions and achievements are forever at the forefront of our development as a nation. From cuisine to culture, language to labor, entrepreneurs to entertainers, the importance of Hispanic and Latin influences are intricately woven into our national identity and shared history as a people.

In addition to the many incredible Hispanic and Latin artists who performed on Levitt stages this past summer, today we’re shining the light on two heritage festivals celebrating Hispanic and Latin culture this weekend and next at Levitt Pavilion Arlington and Levitt Pavilion Denver. Read on to learn more!

Levitt Pavilion Arlington
Hispanic Heritage Celebration
Saturday, September 17 | 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.

During the 2022 season, Levitt Pavilion Arlington launched a trio of inaugural multicultural events at the pavilion to continue expanding its tradition of creating a welcoming gathering space for community members from all backgrounds. In addition to its Asian Heritage Celebration and Arlington Juneteenth Celebration events earlier this season, Levitt Arlington has now teamed up with the Mayor’s Latino Advisory Council to create a free festival this Saturday filled with music and local culture. This first-ever Hispanic Heritage Celebration features an evening of four nonstop performances to keep the audiences dancing all night long. A mariachi performance from Mariachi Perla de Mexico kicks things off, followed by concerts with Seguin, Texas-based Conjunto Cats (5:30 p.m.) and popular Fort Worth band Latin Express (7 p.m.). Sunny Sauceda, the GRAMMY® nominated and Tejano Music Awards “Entertainer of the Year” artist for 2019, headlines the joyful event with his concert at 8:30 p.m. Food trucks and shopping opportunities from local vendors will offer other highlights for families and concert goers on Saturday night. Here’s a taste of what to expect from Sunny Sauceda with their latest single, “After Party.”

Levitt Pavilion Denver
Viva Southwest Festival de Mariachi
Sunday, September 25 | 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Along with its partners, the Latino Cultural Arts Center and Metropolitan State University of Denver Department of Music, Levitt Pavilion Denver is celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with an evening representing the past, present, and future of mariachi music! The free 5th annual Viva Southwest Festival de Mariachi is expecting a full crowd who will be treated to a debut performance by Mariachi Estelares de Colorado, the first All-State youth ensemble comprising the best Mariachi students in the Centennial State. Twelve student musicians have been selected after being nominated to audition for the ensemble. The young musicians in guitar, guitarron, trumpet, vihuela, violin, and voice represent the communities of Denver and neighboring Commerce City, Longmont, Westminster, and Pueblo. As the state’s premier student Mariachi ensemble, they will open the Festival alongside Denver fan favorites, Mariachi Sol de Mi Tierra. The headliner of Sunday’s festival will be a performance by GRAMMY and Latin Grammy-nominated Lupita Infante, the heir to the musical dynasty of Pedro Infante, who has captured the heart of the Mariachi community through independence and education. Breaking the gender-norm stereotype, Infante’s artistry contributes a bold new sound to regional Mexican music as a performer and an ethnomusicologist, while also advocating for women empowerment throughout her music. In 2020, her song “Dejaré” was nominated for a Latin Grammy Award.

With the universal language of music, the Levitt Foundation believes the arts, especially the power of free, live music in public spaces, can help bridge divides and strengthen the social fabric of America, one city, and one concert, at a time. All Levitt nonprofits present an array of music representing dozens of genres and cultures on its stages, reflecting the many faces, places, and spaces each community calls home. The Foundation remains committed to embodying the values of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) as this is essential to realizing the Levitt mission of building community through music. Beyond Hispanic Heritage Month, the Levitt Foundation is dedicated to ensuring that every concert season is an opportunity to honor the amazing talent of Hispanic and Latin artists throughout the Levitt network across America.