Latinx Heritage Month is a time dedicated to celebrating and highlighting the contributions and accomplishments of Latinx Americans in culture and throughout history—past and present. It’s no secret that Los Angeles is home to many Latinx/o/a’s, and their influence on our city is impactful.
From desserts, restaurants, and cultural events—here are incredible ways to honor Latinx/o/a’s and our fellow Angelenos this month September 15 to October 15, 2023, and beyond! (Be sure to check back here for more events that will be added throughout the month.)
1. Be a part of history at Viva Long Beach, the first-ever community event dedicated to honoring Latine culture
Join Long Beach as they kick off a vibrant celebration like no other! Be a part of history at Viva Long Beach, the first-ever community event dedicated to honoring the rich Latine heritage. Get ready to join the community, dance to the rhythm of culture, and embrace the unity that makes us stronger. You’ll also be able to indulge in DJ sets and live music, all along with yummy food, refreshing beverages, and local retail vendors!
🎟️ Info: Grab your tickets to Viva Long Beach here!
📅When: September 23, 2023 from 12 p.m. — 8 p.m.
🌴Location: Lincoln Park, 101 Pacific Avenue, Long Beach
2. Grab yourself a cup of culture at Cipota Coffee
In honor of the first day of Hispanic Heritage Month — we are so excited to introduce you to Cipota Coffee! This Salvadoran and woman-owned business is near and dear to the heart of its creator, inspired by the warmth and love of Central American coffee shared with her by her roots and Salvadoran parents. Each sip is a delicious dose of culture and nostalgia that will surely warm your soul. Check out Cipota Coffee here!
3. Celebrate and visit the incredible Museum Of Latin American Art for free
Located in Long Beach, MOLAA is the only museum in the U.S. dedicated to featuring and highlighting both modern and contemporary Latin American art. While general admission is typically $15, the museum is totally free to the public on Sundays from 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Get the full scoop here.
📍Location: 628 Alamitos Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90802
4. Spread the love and grab yourself a heart-shaped pupusa from La Pupusa in DTLA
This Salvadoran pupusa is made with love and it shows! La Pupusa Urban Eatery in Downtown LA offers this 18-inch beauty and can be filled with ingredients of your choice. It’s the perfect size to share, but we wouldn’t blame you if you kept it all to yourself. Check them out here!
📍Location: 1051 W Washington Blvd G, Los Angeles, CA 90015
5. Honor the past and inspire the future at LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes
6. Enjoy some delicious (vegan) Cuban food at Smorgasborg
Evanice is a Cuban-Brazilian American who started Senoreata as a way to connect with her roots even through her veganism. Inspired by her family, her food is made with love, and every bite is a taste of her culture. Her pop-up is open every Sunday at Smorgusburg―that way you can have her delicious Cuban sandwiches and guava pastelitos every weekend. Check it out here!
📍Location: Sundays at Smorgusburg, 777 S Alameda St, Los Angeles, CA 90021
7. Dine at the historic Honduran Doña Bibi restaurant in MacArthur Park
Doña Bibi is a locally loved spot in the heart of MacArthur Park that’s been serving up Honduran food since 1997. Honduran immigrant, traditional cook, and Latinx activist Doña Bibi opened up this place over 20 years ago, and now Maynor Sandoval upholds her legacy. Local favorites include Doña Bibi’s Sopa De Caracol, a warm pot full of conch, shrimp, yucca, and vegetables, along with their Pescado Lago De Yojoa which is a freshly whole fried fish along with a side of fried green bananas and a bed of cabbage. You’ll surely leave this place full and satisfied! Get their full menu here.
📍Location: 2400 W 7th St #101, Los Angeles, CA 90057
8. Catch a powerful show at the iconic Latino Theater Company
The Latino Theater Company at The Los Angeles Theatre Center was founded in 1985 with the overall goal to contribute and amplify voices of underserved communities through the power of theater. Today, they continue to explore the U.S. Latina/o/x experience in bold and contemporary terms, and program their Fall and Spring Seasons by working with local playwrights that speak to important issues within the Latina/o/x, First Nation, Black, Asian American, Jewish American and LGBTQ+ communities. Attend a show here!
9. Get your hands on a Frida Khalo-inspired concha at Azules
Azules Coffee Co. is a Latina-owned and authentic Coffee Shop that has been serving Orange County and surrounding areas since 2000. They offer a wide variety of hot and iced drinks, we also provide savory and sweet food options. They also have delicious Frida Khalo-inspired conchas up for grabs this month! Get the details here.
📍Location: 732 N Anaheim Blvd, Anaheim, CA 92805
10. Grab a pint of this locally made Latinx-inspired Ice Cream from Sad Girl Creamery
Sue Mancini of Sad Girl Creamery knows the perfect way to heal your broken heart. She incorporates her culture and childhood to create the perfect ice cream treats that fill you with sweet nostalgia. You can pick up a pint of her Cajeta Latte, Guava Jam Cheesecake, Cinnamon Churro, Caramel Flan, or Vegan Peanut Mazapán ice cream at Sara’s Market. Follow Sad Girl Creamery here!
📍Location: Sara’s Market, 3455 City Terrace Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90063
11. Party it up with Night Of The Blaxican
Night Of The Blaxican is well-established event that started off as a backyard party and has now expanded to bigger venues around Los Angeles — but the message remains the same: unity. Each event celebrates la cultura and music that connects all Angelenos. Their shows are always a good time and include live music and performances, dancing, and more to bring together everyone from every part of L.A. Music includes West Coast Classics, G-Funk, Underground rap, and so much more. As they put it, “It’s time to come together under the culture that unites us all. Come celebrate what makes the West Coast the Best Coast.” Get the lineup here!
12. Start your morning off right with Cafe Calle
Nothing beats the warm smell of coffee in the morning. If you’re in need of some of that sweet caffeine aroma―along with an even better taste―Cafe Calle is the answer. They offer all of that goodness and more with every sip of their coffee. Diana Martinez started the business as a street vendor, and with love and dedication, she opened their first shop along with her mother this year. Follow them here!
📍Location: 3310 S Central Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90011
13. Celebrate cultures from México, Central America, South America, and beyond with the Aquarium Of Pacific
The Aquarium of the Pacific is throwing their twenty-first annual Baja Splash Cultural Festival in celebration of cultures from México, Central and South America, and beyond. The event features traditional dance, live music, educational programming in English and Spanish, and booths. Get the full details here!
🗓️When:
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Saturday, September 23, 2023: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
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Sunday, September 24, 2023: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
📍Location: 100 Aquarium Way, Long Beach, CA 90802
14. Get the best of both worlds with some birria-ramen from Birria X Godz
Ashley always had a love for cooking. Being a Latina with Nicaraguan roots raised in L.A., she grew up with different cultures and cuisines. That’s where her passion for cooking truly blossomed and how Birria X Gods was born. They offer juicy birria tacos, cheesy quesadillas, and flavorful birria ramen. Driven by her family and frequent patrons, her food is served with love and dedication.
📍Location: Get their pop-up schedule here!
15. Satisfy your cravings with Afro-Mexican cuisine at Tamales Elena y Antojito
Tamales Elena y Antojito is a proudly Afro-Latina-owned restaurant that offers traditional Mexican food packed with African ingredients that will leave you with bites full of flavor and culture. Their extensive menu is full of different types of tamales, tacos, moles, pozole, and so much more. Whatever it is you’re craving, they will surely satisfy it. Follow them here!
📍Location: 8101 Garfield Ave, Bell Gardens, CA 90201
16. Celebrate at the Latino Heritage Parade and Festival in Pasadena
Join locals and the city of Pasadena for their annual Latino Heritage Parade and Festival on September 16, 2023. The parade kicks off at 10 a.m. then heads south on Los Robles Avenue, and concludes 4 p.m. Check back here for more information as the event grows closer. Usually following the parade, guests will enjoy a festival featuring live entertainment, educational booths, free activities for children, and food available for purchase.
🗓️When: September 16, 2023
17. Take a bite into some authentic Puerto Rican food at Mofongos
Chef Augusto originally started cooking up dishes out of his own home, but after a long period of time, he realized Angelenos deserved to eat some authentic Puerto Rican food too. Thus, Mofongos was born. Today, it’s one of the best places in Los Angeles to dine and experience Puerto Rican culture. We highly recommend trying their juicy Mofongo de Bistec encebollado! Check them out here.
📍Location: 5757 Lankershim Blvd North Hollywood, CA 91601
18. Attend the Los Angeles Libros Festival online & in person
The incredible Los Angeles Libros Fest will offer two days full of celebration for all ages featuring Spanish-language and bilingual storytelling, cultural performances, workshops, and award-winning Latinx authors. On Friday, September 29, 2023, the L.A. Libros Fest will be virtual with programs streaming on YouTube. On Saturday, September 30, 2023, the festival will be taking place in person at Central Library in DTLA, with select programs streaming live on their YouTube. Check out the full festival schedule here!
19. Experience some fine dining at Cecilia’s Caribbean Cuisine
Cecilia’s Caribbean Cuisine is known for launching L.A.’s first fine dining experience for Caribbean food and culture with a contemporary flair. You can find an array of delicious dishes on their menu from their Original Jerk Rubbed Shrimp Plate to Fried Plantains, everything is made with a conscious mind, offering a variety for special dietary needs including vegan and halal options. Learn more about Cecilia’s Caribbean Cuisine here!
📍Location: 1403 West 11th Street, Los Angeles, CA
20. Visit the historic Olvera Street
Olvera Street is a local landmark known as one of DTLA’s oldest streets rich in history, and dates all the way back to 1930. Presently, it pays homage to its Mexican roots. Olvera Street offers its visitors local street vendors, cozy cafes, delicious Mexican restaurants, and wonderful gift shops for all to enjoy year-round. Learn more about its history here.
📍Location: 845 N Alameda St. Los Angeles, CA 90012
21. Try some freshly-made Latin American pastries from Huicho’s Bakery
Found in the Pico-Union area, Huricho’s Bakery offers Angelenos authentic baked goods from El Salvador, Nicaragua, Guatemala, to México. Their goods include conchas, cuernitos, galletas, elotitos, lenos, monos, lenguas, pan cubano, bigotes, enmantecadas, euesos, bolillos, teleras―and so much more! Their menu doesn’t end at the bakery though. They also serve up tortillas, tamales, pupusas, and more. Get their full menu here!
Location: 1250 S Vermont Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90006
22. Have a unique dining experience at this Venezuelan chef’s garage turned full-fledged restaurant and pastry haven
Karla Subero Pittol is a Venezuelan-born and Echo Park-raised chef. After strengthening her skills in L.A.’s well-known restaurants, she’s created a cuisine venture of her own—right out of her garage. Every month her once parking space is now a full-fledged restaurant named Chainsaw. Every month she hosts different chefs and cultural eats. She also makes delicious homemade pies that can be purchased at the garage. Learn more about Chainsaw here!
📍Location: Pittol’s innovative concept has become a local infatuation, and dinners and pie pick-ups are RSVP only—which fill up fast. You can sign up for text message updates here. The location is released once you book your spot.
23. Get some local shopping done at Sara’s Market
Sara and Steven Valdez created this incredible market, known as Sara’s Market, to serve the community, and to offer a place where small businesses can sell their products. From locally made ice cream to handmade custom nails, they’ve got you covered! Follow them here.
📍Location: 3455 City Terrace Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90063
24. Take a ride through DTLA and learn about Chicano/a/x history
In honor of Latinx Heritage Month, Metro Bike Share is hosting an art ride-along where guests can learn about Chicano/a/x history, culture, and communities through public art found around Downtown Los Angeles. Whether telling the story of a historic moment like Eduardo Carrillo’s El Grito or recognizing the continued challenges and surpassing resilience of those who migrate to the United States today in Alfredo “LIBRE” Gutierrez’ Transportapueblos: Los Resilientes, this route offers firsthand storytelling through art. RSVP here!
🗓️When: Saturday, September 23, 2023 · 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
📍Location: Union Station West Portal, 834 N Alameda St Los Angeles, CA 90012
25. Bite into a limited-edition dulce de leche cupcake from Sprinkles
In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, Sprinkles Cupcakes has joined forces once again with Claudette Zepeda to bring a delectable cupcake that honors the chef’s Hispanic roots. Zepeda’s delectable La Gloria cupcake is full of flavors originating from Northern Mexico and is made up of a caramel-flavored cake adorned in pecans, a dulce de leche center, savory yet sweet caramel frosting, and topped with cinnamon sugar. Again, these rich cupcakes are only available for a limited time so don’t miss out! Learn more about this Hispanic Heritage Month collaboration here.
26. Have educational family fun by learning how to make Guatemalan worry dolls
Muñecas Quitapenas or Worry Dolls are colorful yarn-made dolls from Guatemala and Mayan legend that are said to ease children’s worries and fears. Learn more about this cultural legend and even make your own with your little one at the San Fernando Library. For ages 5 to 12 with parent or caregiver. Space is very limited, register here.
📍Location: 217 N Maclay Ave, San Fernando, CA 91340