Angela Peña remembers growing up in a South Texas border town where “Hispanic” inevitably meant “Mexican.”

It wasn’t until she left her hometown that she learned about the diversity within Hispanic culture, she said. Now living in Arlington, Peña’s appreciation for her heritage has broadened, and she celebrates it with Cubans, Dominicans, Salvadorians and Ecuadorians.

Celebrations of Hispanic Heritage Month have played a key role in expanding her view, she said.

“(The month) just gets you out of your own little bubble,” said Peña, communications and programs development director for Arlington’s Levitt Pavilion. “It’s not just about the individual groups; it’s about how all of them make up this culture.”

That Hispanic culture will take center stage in Arlington at the city’s third annual Hispanic Heritage Celebration at 5 p.m. Oct. 5. The event will fill Levitt Pavilion and surrounding streets with live music, artisan street vendors, Hispanic cuisine, traditional desserts and Latin fusion foods.

The celebration is one of Levitt Pavilion’s biggest nights of the year and is hosted in partnership with the Arlington Latino Advisory Council.

The night’s Levitt Pavilion concert will start with salsa dancing and instruction from Salsa at the Gardens followed by mariachi and salsa music. Music will then transition to Tejano and R&B from the night’s headline performer, Jay Pérez. 

“This is one huge party,” said Kathleen Ramon-Venable, a member of the Latino Advisory Council. “It’s not just a concert, it’s a culture.”

Ramon-Venable grew up in San Antonio, where Hispanic Heritage was always openly celebrated, she said. But statewide, Ramon-Venable remembers her Hispanic community being more weary and skeptical of broader cultural events.

That skepticism has started to subside in recent years, she said, as more celebrations like Arlington’s have embraced Texas’ diversity.

“Now, people are letting their hair down and are not worried to celebrate things like this,” Ramon-Venable said. “It has changed tremendously from the ’70s all the way up until now.”

Hispanic Heritage Month runs from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15. Hispanic Heritage was recognized as an official U.S. celebration in 1968 under President Lyndon B. Johnson. The official celebration was extended to a month under President Ronald Reagan in 1988.

Arlington native Letatia Teykl, executive director for Levitt Pavilion, said she’s excited to have been raised in a city that celebrates diversity. In her role with Levitt Pavilion, she is a chief organizer of the annual Hispanic Heritage Celebration, as well as other cultural celebrations like Levitt’s Asian Heritage Celebration and Juneteenth Celebration.

About 31% of Arlington residents are Hispanic or Latino, according to 2020 data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Teykl said she’s happy to be able to bring the diverse community together over live music. 

“That music piece is the foundation with which Levitt and the community can gather,” she said. “That’s the starting point of this space we have at the Levitt. It becomes a space that’s open for everyone.”

For people unfamiliar with Hispanic culture, Peña likened attending the Hispanic Heritage Celebration to the cross-cultural feel of walking into a Latin restaurant: smiling faces, good food and good times.

“It’s for everyone,” she said. “It’s very welcoming.”

Drew Shaw is a reporting fellow for the Arlington Report. Contact him at drew.shaw@fortworthreport.org or @shawlings601. 

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