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Here’s your guide to celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month in Alexandria

By James Cullum
Flags from 20 Latin American countries are lining Market Square outside Alexandria’s City Hall at 301 King Street for Hispanic Heritage Month, Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, 2024 (via City of Alexandria)

Hispanic Heritage Month just returned to Alexandria, and here’s how to celebrate.

Live music, author discussions and book readings are just a few of the offerings for the annual month-long recognition that officially kicked off this past Sunday (Sept. 15) in Del Ray.

At that event, the salsa and bachata lessons, live performances and social dancing reportedly lasted well into the evening.

Latinos are the fastest-growing demographic in the Alexandria. Nearly 30,000 city residents of Latino origin were documented in the 2020 Census, a 30% increase from the 22,500 residents in 2010.

“The Hispanic and Latino/x population is an incredibly diverse group consisting of a multitude of nationalities, cultural backgrounds, and experiences,” the city said. “Some of our Hispanic community members are recent immigrants to the country, while others have family lineages that stretch past the founding of our nation.”

Alexandria’s Hispanic Heritage Month calendar (via City of Alexandsria)

Flags, food and more

All through Oct. 15, flags from 20 Latin American countries will line Market Square in front of City Hall in Old Town. National colors from those countries will also light up Hall at night, according to the city.

The City will also publicize oral history interviews with Hispanic members of the community.

Visit Alexandria has listed Latino-owned businesses on its website, including Casa Rosada Artisan Gelato (111 S. Payne Street), Cualtzin Salon (1600 King Street) and Huascarán Peruvian Cuisine (208 W. Glebe Road).

Alexandria Library listed the following. events:

  • On September 17, Burke Library’s Hispanic Heritage Month-themed family storytime
  • On October 9, a virtual conversation with The New York Times best-selling author Silvia Moreno-Garcia, known for critically-acclaimed novels including Mexican Gothic and Gods of Jade and Shadow. Liberating Latin American Genre Fiction: In Conversation with Bestselling Author Silvia Moreno-Garcia will unpack Moreno-Garcia’s writing process, the latest in Latin American genre fiction and insights into her latest novel, The Seventh Veil of Salome.
  • A Hispanic Heritage Fiesta on Oct. 12 (Saturday) in the reading garden at Charles E. Beatley, Jr. Central Library (5005 Duke Street). Music at the event will be provided by Mystic Warriors, a group dedicated to the preservation of Andean folk music. The band performs using ancient flutes and panpipes in conjunction with contemporary instruments, seeking to honor the Quechua and Aymara people in Bolivia and other pre-Inca civilizations
  • Get swept away by a poetry reading of Pablo Neruda’s work on October 16.

About the Author

  • Reporter James Cullum has spent nearly 20 years covering Northern Virginia. He began working with ALXnow in 2020, and has covered every story under the sun for the publication, from investigative stories to features and photo galleries. His work includes coverage of national and international situations, as well as from the White House, Capitol, Pentagon, Supreme Court and State Department. He's covered protests and riots throughout the U.S. (including the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol), in addition to earthquake-ridden Haiti, Western Sahara in North Africa and war-torn South Sudan. He has photographed presidents and other world leaders, celebrities and famous musicians, and excels under pressure.