Springfield, IL  (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, the Hispanic Women of Springfield hosted a festival at the Illinois State Museum in downtown Springfield over the weekend.  

President of the Hispanic Women of Springfield, Ana Manriquez, explained that they decided to host the festival because, ” we would like to share with everyone how beautiful and wonderful our Hispanic culture is. Even though we have the same language, we have different music, food, and we want to share that. We are very happy to be here and embrace our culture and heritage.”

The festival featured live music, food, traditional dances, exhibits from various Hispanic countries, and plenty of children’s activities like face painting and mask making. 

Jessica Arroyave shared an exhibit of her home country, Colombia. She explained the many reasons Colombia is famous. Famous entertainers such as Shakira and Sofia Vergara are from Barranquilla, Colombia, which is also home to the 2nd most famous carnival. Colombia is known for its coffee exports. Colombia is also home to natural wonders such as Caño Cristales, often referred to as the Liquid Rainbow, a river that has 7 different colors. 

September 15th through October 15th is Hispanic Heritage Month. 

The next event hosted by the Hispanic Women of Springfield at the museum will be their Day of the Dead celebration on Saturday, November 1st, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Admission is free. 

For more information on upcoming events, like their annual Halloween dance, visit their Facebook page!