Hispanic Heritage Month will begin in Long Beach with a sky full of color

Each year, the United States celebrates National Hispanic Heritage Month. Half of September and half of October are dedicated to recognizing the rich histories, diverse cultures and notable contributions of American citizens with ancestral roots in Mexico, the Caribbean, Central and South America, and Spain.

The festivities begin this weekend. As in past years, the Long Beach Latino Civic Association will host a number of events that will draw people from across Nassau County to the celebration, whether they are Hispanic or not.

The group will hold its third annual Hispanic Heritage Kite Festival on Sunday, from noon to 2 p.m., on the Laurelton Boulevard beach. Kites will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

“It’s really important, because Long Beach Latino continues to find ways to bring the community together in a healthy environment, taking advantage of the beautiful landscape and ocean that we are so blessed to live near,” Helen Dorado-Alessi, the civic association’s president, said. “The idea of kites and propulsion — and the stem of the idea, of young people getting exercise, spending family time — is all very intriguing.”

While visiting Puerto Rico, Nicole Fader, the vice president of the association, who is of Puerto Rican descent, found the inspiration for the event. Each time she visited, she spent time on the Great Lawn of El Morro, in Old San Juan. It would usually be a sunny day, with the wind blowing and people of all ages flying kites, filling the sky with color.

It got her thinking, why can’t we do that in Long Beach?

So they did, and the event grows more popular every year. In its debut in 2022, some 300 people took part, and 100 kites, purchased by the association (which was reimbursed by the city), were given out, while others used their own. Last year the crowd was closer to 400. The festival welcomes kite flyers of all ages.

“Celebrating culture in this country is not only for people of that culture, it’s a wonderful experience and experiment to find out about other people’s cultures,” Dorado-Alessi said. “This is something that we honor and want to preserve year after year. We hope to see everyone come out to have a great day.”

Since its founding in 1995, the association has supported health and welfare initiatives, elevated educational goals, and championing civic participation of members of the city’s Latino community.

The kite-flying won’t be the group’s only celebration. There will be a free concert, featuring Eljuri, at the Círculo Center, at 605 Peninsula Blvd. in Hempstead, on Sept. 21, from 2 to 5 p.m.

Then, next month, it’s the big event: the annual Hispanic Heritage Gala. This year’s celebration, the 28th, is scheduled for Oct. 24. It was previously held each year at the Bridgeview Yacht Club, in Island Park, but the club closed in July, so the event will be held at the Lawrence Yacht and Country Club, from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m., and will feature Latin music, dinner and dancing. It is the Long Beach association’s most significant fundraising event of the year.

Much more than a party, the gala is also a chance to recognize local group members who serve their community, and there will be six honorees this year.

Jose Jara, manager of Apple Bank in Long Beach, will receive the Corporate Neighbor Award. Mariela Giammarino, a counselor at Long Beach High School, will be presented with the Educational Leadership Award. Artist in Partnership’s executive director, Johanna Mathieson-Ellner, will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award. And John Mooney, Long Beach’s Civil Service Employees Association board president, will be named the Union Leader of the Year.

There will also be two youth honorees: Eliana Park, of Long Beach, a student at Stony Brook University, will receive the Youth Excellence Award, and Joseph Zambrano, an 8-year-old Island Park resident, will be presented with the Volunteer of the Year Award, making him the youngest honoree ever at the gala.

“We have done such amazing work this year,” Dorado-Alessi said, “and by chance, it’s also been a tough year for us. But people are now getting very excited, because it’s Hispanic Heritage Month.”

For more information on the kite festival, call (516) 988-0039. For more information, to register for next month’s gala or to donate, visit LBLatinoCivic.org.