Hispanic Heritage Month in Philly: 20+ Events & Fests for 2025

Part of the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s Heritage Month Celebrations program series, this one-hour guided tour explores over 300 years of diverse visual traditions of Latin American art and artists. Art-savvy visitors can discover worthy pieces beyond famed painters Antonio Ruiz, Miguel Cabrera, Melchor Pérez Holguín and others.

Tours are free with museum admission, run daily throughout September from 2 to 3 p.m. and are limited to 20 visitors.

For nearly 30 years, the Philadelphia Fringe Festival has been a platform to showcase cutting-edge performance artists. Hispanic Heritage Month welcomes several theatrical premieres from new-gen storytellers:

• Caribbean King by AZ Espinoza and director Cat Ramirez is an anti-colonial Afro-futurist-perspective adaptation of Shakespeare’s King Lear (September 14 to 28, 2025).
• La Otra follows three Colombian sisters and their family dynamics (September 12 to 28, 2025).
• Malicho Vaca Valenzuela’s REMINISCENCIA integrates digital media to access memories and explore identity (September 15 to 16, 2025).
• Ashes and Iron is a solo aerial show created by Daisie Cardona (September 15 to 16, 2025).

Tickets for select shows are “Pay What You Can,” starting at $5.

This block party on the famed El Centro de Oro has been going strong for over 40 years — and this year, La Feria del Barrio pre-dates Hispanic Heritage Month by a week.

Join the community for a family-friendly outdoor celebration with live Latin music, dancing, food, arts and crafts. The event is free to attend and runs rain or shine.

Independence Blue Cross RiverRink Summerfest hosts the PECO Multicultural Series in partnership with the Mexican Cultural Center for the Mexican Independence Day Festival. This free, all-ages annual event honors the country’s declaration of independence on September 16, 1810, with an “El Grito de Independencia” ceremony by the Consulate of Mexico in Philadelphia.

Expect regional, traditional Mexican dancing and live band performances (including mariachi), delicious Mexican cuisine, local artisans and creators, and a fireworks show symbolizing the triumph of freedom and independence.

Kensington’s Cantina la Martina hosts its annual Mexican Independence Day backyard fiesta with a traditional Mexican buffet dinner, tunes by DJ Cali Rumba and an El Grito de Independencia bell-ringing ceremony.

The buffet is $45 per person before beverages, tax and gratuity, but the ceremony is free to watch. Reservations are encouraged on Resy, but walk-ins are also welcome.

September 14 & October 12, 2025

Head to Bok Bar for an afternoon of music and dancing led by guest instructors from Estilo Dance Studio and others. They’ll guide you through the classic salsa and bachata rhythms step-by-step.

Dance lessons are from 3 p.m. to about 4 p.m., then the dance floor opens up to all. DJ V Spice and DJ Big George, also instructors, spin tunes till 8 p.m.. It’s all free to attend, and beginners are welcome.

Friends and fellow Latina restaurateurs Sofia DeLeon from Guatemala and Maria Hernandez from Venezuela are teaming up for a Hispanic Heritage Month dessert special: Key Lime Pie Churro Sundae. The limited-edition dessert heightens (literally) El Merkury’s signature churro and creamy soft serve with Autana’s handcrafted, creamy, tart and buttery limón pie.

Each churro sundae costs $10 and is available from September 15 to 30, 2025, at both El Merkury locations (on Chestnut Street and inside Reading Terminal Market stall number B7).

Taller Puertorriqueño hosts the first solo exhibition from Rodríguez Calero, a Puerto Rican visual artist, painter, collagist and photographer. yux·ta·po·si·cíon / jux·ta·po·si·tion bridges collage, photography and painting and touches on themes of fashion photography, self-representation, gender fluidity and art history.

Learn more about the artist at a meet-and-greet (September 19, 2025, from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m) and hands-on collaging workshop (September 20, 2025, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.). Both events are free and open to the public.

Afro-Latine/x Dominican and Puerto Rican author Alyssa Reynoso-Morris comes to Taller Puertorriqueño for a book launch and reading from her latest release, Bold, Brilliant, and Latine.

The book features colorful stories of 52 famous Latine and Hispanic changemakers from the past and present, including Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, football legend Lionel Messi, Mexico’s Frida Kahlo and more, all with Argentinian illustrator Sol Cotti’s artwork. The book will be available for purchase on-site.

Popular Fishtown winery Mural City Cellars is helmed by Puerto Rican winemaker Nicholas Ducas, who hosts monthly wine classes like this one honoring Hispanic Heritage Month with Vinos Hispanicos. On offer: four curated tastings of wines from Mexico, South America and Central America.

Tickets are $35, and no wine expertise is needed!

El Mercado Cultural joins forces with SEEDS for a two-day celebration of Indigenous arts and cultures featuring presentations, live painting, short films, creative workshops and art alongside Latinx vendors of El Mercado Cultural.

Artisans from Venezuela, Colombia, Guatemala, Mexico, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and El Salvador sell handmade jewelry, accessories, beaded bracelets, clothing, gifts, wearable art, dresses, hats and more. The market is free to attend, with pay-as-you-go food from Philly Tacos available. Pro tip: Bring cash.

The Hyatt Centric Center City Philadelphia dedicates its walls this month to the works of two Philadelphia-based artists: Puerto Rico-born photographer Jaime Alvarez and Marta Sanchez, a painter of Mexican descent. On view and for sale: Alvarez’s images of Iceland and Spain and two of Sanchez’s paintings depicting scenes from Mexican history.

The exhibit, curated by the contemporary arts group InLiquid, kicks off with an opening reception on Thursday, September 25, 2025, featuring complimentary light bites from Patchwork Restaurant and pay-as-you-go cocktails from the adjacent bar.

Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations hit The Academy of Natural Sciences during a night of special programming highlighting the fossils, mammals and invertebrates of Latin America. Equal parts educational and entertaining, the family-friendly festivities include craft activities, an auditorium show, scientist talks and DJ beats. Plus, satisfy those cravings with pay-as-you-go food (from vendors like Lula’s Empanadas and La Llamita Vegana), and bevvies from the Dino Drafts Beer Garden. Admission is pay what you wish.

If dancing lakeside sounds up your alley, meet fellow salsa and bachata lovers at FDR Park’s boathouse in late September, when DJ Valentin Flores hosts Bailar, with a one-hour lesson by Dance Philly.

Taqueria Morales will keep you fueled with pay-as-you-go antojitos. This is an all-ages, all-dance-levels, rain-or-shine event, with no tickets required (though RSVPs and donations are appreciated).

September 26 and October 5 & 10, 2025

Esperanza Arts Center (EAC) frequently welcomes local and touring musicians, artists and performers, and this month’s EAC calendar is especially packed.

Network for New Music showcases classical Latin American and Caribbean compositions by composer Leo Brouwer (September 26, 2025), and singer Marcelle McGuirk presents vocal music by Latina composers (October 10, 2025). There’s also an ongoing exhibition by Danny Torres, and an Afro-Latino play, Tite Curet Alonso: Lyrics and Poetry, written and performed by Josean Ortiz (October 5, 2025). Showtimes vary, and tickets can be purchased individually (starting at $15) or via season passes.

September 26 & October 18, 2025

Enjoy a coastal harvest experience on the Delaware River waterfront with Sea Philly, a Latina- and woman-owned private charter. Sea Philly partners with Latino chef Pablo Toxqui of Haute Feast and the farmers of the Barnegat Oyster Collective for a seafood dinner, including a raw bar, passed hors d’oeuvres and a three-course meal, plus welcome cocktails and wine pairings.

Tickets are $275 (not including fees), and dinner starts at 6 p.m.

Concilio’s Annual Puerto Rican Day Parade in Philadelphia started in 1964, originally held as part of the Puerto Rican Week Festival. Now, thousands march on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway alongside floats, musicians, dancers, performers and more to celebrate Puerto Rico’s diaspora in the City of Brotherly Love.

With Pennsylvania having the fourth-highest Puerto Rican population in the U.S. (8%), there’s a lot of pride in the multigenerational crowds.

Chef Ian Moroney and Sharon Thompson-Schill of Carl — Philadelphia Magazine’s Best of Philly 2025 “Best Dinner Party” — are teaming up with chef Coco Sanzetenea of Ulupica for a celebration of Bolivian culture and cuisine in late September. Taste Bolivian specialties (including salteñas, cuñapes, and picantes) at this intimate dinner party in a private home near Rittenhouse Square.

Tickets ($150 per person) are limited to 14 guests and include a welcome cocktail and three appetizers during a cocktail hour, followed by three savory dishes and dessert served around a communal table.

The Latin American Book Fair connects authors, illustrators, writers, designers and book lovers with an afternoon of free programming.

This year marks the seventh edition and includes 30 authors, organizations and community readers and is hosted in collaboration with the Mexican Cultural Center. Get excited for cultural performances, live music, dancing and food — all in one of Philadelphia’s most iconic venues.

The Philadelphia Museum of Art’s “Things That Go” Latinx Heritage Month family festival is the place to be loud and have fun. Several gallery rooms will be dedicated to an afternoon of hands-on art, music and crafts for kids. Highlights include a bilingual music experience led by “Ms. Cat” from Mister John’s Music, make-your-own “prints passport” with illustrator Fabiola Lara and plenty of singing and dancing. This event is free with Pay-What-You-Wish admission; tickets are not required.

Bad Bunny fans may know Chuwi from the track “WELTiTA” on his latest chart-topping album, DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS. See the youthful Puerto Rican band perform plena and Caribbean rhythms live at Taller Puertorriqueño as part of their U.S. tour. Doors open at 7 p.m. and Chuwi goes on at 8 p.m.

As a resource for small businesses, the Greater Philadelphia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce will celebrate Latino-owned and operated restaurants and food trucks across the region with a special promotion of one complimentary appetizer or dessert with the purchase of two dinner entrées, plus select limited-time menus. The week-long campaign highlights the diversity and resilience of the Latino culinary community and will culminate with a Chef’s Tasting led by Chef and founder of El Merkury, Sofia De Leon on October 30. Keep an eye on the official website for this year’s participating spots.

Philadelphia’s vibrant, multiethnic and multiracial Latino population makes the city a hub for delicious Latin food. Award-winning Mexican restaurants, date-night Cuban bistros, family-owned Puerto Rican spots and pan-Latin hotspots bring life (and great tastes) to neighborhoods throughout the city. Residents and visitors can support Latino-owned restaurants while sampling authentic eats, including Mexican tacos at James Beard Award winner Cristina Martinez’s Casa Mexico, Central American street food at El Merkury and Argentine alfajores (think: traditional dulce de leche sandwich cookies) at Jezabel’s.

Anyone looking to support the Latino community — or find the perfect gift — can discover artisan crafts, small-batch delicacies and more at one of the many Latino-owned shops, boutiques and galleries in the city. Pick up a new instrument (and maybe even catch a pop-up jam sesh) at Centro Musical, explore handcrafted and imported treasures at ChocoArte, or enjoy an art exhibition while you read works by Latino authors at Taller Puertorriqueño’s Julia de Burgos Bookstore.

From ancient Mayan artifacts to contemporary crafts and paintings, Latino art thrives in Philadelphia. Reflect on immigrant experiences at South Philadelphia’s Aqui y Alla mural, marvel at intricate mosaics inside Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens, or be wowed by remnants of the past inside Penn’s Museum’s Central American & Mexican Gallery. Check out our full guide to exploring Latino art in Philadelphia.

Visit Philadelphia celebrates the city’s vibrant Hispanic and Latino community with “Hispanic Voices,” a TV spot defying Hispanic misconceptions and highlighting 35 Philly locals — spanning 10 different Latin cultures and a wide range of industries. “Hispanic Voices” explores the intersection of race, ethnicity and identity, and shows Philly off as a welcoming and inclusive place for all.