Mt. Kisco to Hold First-Ever Hispanic Heritage Festival This Saturday

The Village of Mount Kisco will be holding a celebration this Saturday afternoon in downtown that seems long overdue.

The community will be holding its inaugural Hispanic Heritage Festival on the grounds around Village Hall from 12 to 7 p.m. that will feature food from local Latin restaurateurs, music, dancing, Zumba classes and other activities.

Village Trustee Angie Garcia-Guerra, who is serving her first year on the board, said many other communities in the area with a significant Hispanic population have held festivals that pay tribute to their residents’ culture and she felt it was time Mount Kisco did the same.

An estimated 40 to 50 percent of the village’s population is Hispanic.

“I think we have such a great little town here where we have a variety of people and we have big and small businesses and it would be great to have it all come together and have this celebration together,” Garcia-Guerra said.

She reached out to her board colleagues and Village Manager Ed Brancati to see if it was feasible. To limit costs, it was suggested that village property be used, Garcia-Guerra said.

It is anticipated that the only expense for the town would be having DPW personnel help out, but Garcia-Guerra said there is a significant contingent of volunteers for the day that will try to make the experience as smooth as possible for the village.

There will be five Latin food establishments from the community that will be the food vendors: Monarca Restaurant & Bar, Hermosa, Tamarindos, V&R American Latino Deli and Maya Restaurante. The goal was to have a variety of offerings for the public to try, Garcia-Guerra said.

For some of the establishments that were unable to participate, they will supply gift certificates that will be provided as part of prizes for games and other giveaways. Other businesses have made donations for the event, including Las Americas, Bagel & Bean Cafe, Azteca, Lorena’s Juice Bar, Pick up Bubble Tea and the Mount Kisco Arts Council.

Most importantly, the day will recognize all people whose heritage can be traced to any Spanish-speaking country, Garcia-Guerra said. However, you don’t have to be Hispanic or even speak Spanish to enjoy the day. Everyone is welcome, she said.

“Everybody’s very excited about it and hoping it’s going to be a fun day,” Garcia-Guerra said.

Other activities during the festival will see the Mount Kisco Public Library  providing resources about Latin American countries and to help anyone who wants to sign up for a library card, and the Boys & Girls Club of Northern Westchester will also be participating.

Village secretary Lizette Davis, a certified Zumba instructor, will be leading the Zumba classes, and Hotel MTK is offering discounts for anyone booking their events and providing a great giveaway.

There will be cultural crafts for children presented by village resident and business owner Jessica Colon, from For the People and the Kids, along with games and entertainment for the whole family. The local DJ Hefe will be playing the music for the events.

Garcia-Guerra said she hopes that this is a start of a long tradition for the village, with its businesses and residents wanting to hold the festival on an annual basis.

“It’s a bit of an undertaking,” she said. “You have to be able to accommodate and follow through. It is time consuming planning for this. I have been doing the brunt of the work with help from people from the village, obviously. I’m getting support there.”

In case of inclement weather, there is a rain date of Saturday, Oct. 19.

Mount Kisco Village Hall is located at 104 E. Main St.

Martin Wilbur

Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/