It's National Hispanic Heritage Month. Here are 5 events in Oklahoma to honor it

National Hispanic Heritage Month began Wednesday and continues until Oct. 15. For the next four weeks, the United States will have the opportunity to recognize members of communities with heritage tracing back to Mexico, Central and South America, parts of the Caribbean and Spain.

Instead of starting at the beginning of the month, National Hispanic Heritage Month spans mid-September to mid-October, in conjunction with the anniversaries of independence for several Latin American countries, like Belize, Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and Nicaragua. 

President Lyndon B. Johnson originally set aside a week to highlight Hispanic heritage in 1968, but in 1988 President Ronald Reagan extended the celebration to a month. Here are some local events being held over the next month to highlight Hispanic and Latino contributions to Oklahoma history.

1. Mayan Art Exhibit and the Guatemalan Cultural Celebration

The Mayan Art Exhibit began Tuesday, Sept. 14 at the Oklahoma History Center on 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive, featuring original artwork from four Mayan artists. On Saturday, Sept. 18, starting at 11 a.m., the exhibit will conclude with a Guatemalan Cultural Celebration, where visitors can enjoy Guatemalan food from Pollo Campero and learn from Guatemalan dance groups. Both the exhibit and the celebration are free to the public.

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2. Guatemalan Textiles: Heart of the Maya World

Another exhibit, "Guatemalan Textiles: Heart of the Maya World," also began Sept. 14 at the Sam Noble Museum in Norman and will remain on display the next three months. This exhibit features selections of traditional clothing such as blouses, skirts, sashes, shawls and headwraps from various regions of Guatemala. Produced in partnership with the Office of the Guatemalan Consulate General in Oklahoma City, the textile exhibit is also trilingual, representing the languages of English, Spanish and K'iche', which is native to Guatemala. Free with admission, the installation is accessible as long as the museum is open, Tuesdays through Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

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3. Festival Amistad 2021

Festival Amistad, the second-largest Hispanic festival in Oklahoma City honoring the month, will hold its third annual celebration on Sept. 25 at Putnam City High School in Oklahoma City. The event will kick off with a parade starting in the Walmart parking lot on 6437 N MacArthur Blvd. at 11 a.m. and will be followed by the festival at the Putnam City High School Parking lot (5300 NW 50 in Warr Acres) until 6 p.m. Admission is free, and the festival will include various entertainers, food trucks and vendors. Festival Amistad 2021 is organized by the City of Warr Acres, Putnam City High School and Hola Oklahoma Media.

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4. Kids Take Over the Cowboy Museum

A special "Kids Take Over the Cowboy Museum" event will be held between 10 a.m. and noon Oct. 2 at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. This fun, youth-centered day of activities will feature a celebration of Dia de los Muertos, or "Day of the Dead", a month before the actual Mexican holiday. Children will have opportunities to make their own unique contributions to a traditional communal altar, as well as create colorful sugar skull masks appropriate for the holiday. Kids 5 and under will be given free admission, and children 6-12 will have to pay $5.75 for admission.

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5. Fiestas de Las Americas

One of the biggest Hispanic Heritage events in Oklahoma City is always the Fiestas de las Americas, held since 2006 in the Historic Capital Hill District of Calle Dos Cincos. The celebration will feature the Parade of the Americas, a Vendor's Corridor, an artisan pop-up market, a children's area, a scholarship pageant and other forms of live entertainment. Fiestas de las Americas will be held on Oct. 2 from noon to 8 p.m.