Chicago Park District offers free Hispanic Heritage Month events at Gage, West Lawn, Humboldt and other parks through Oct. 13

The Chicago Park District is offering free Hispanic Heritage Month events at parks across the city from Sept. 15 through Oct. 13.

The programming includes cultural exhibits, arts and crafts, music, dance and family activities tied to Latino culture and heritage. The Park District said the events are open to all park patrons.

A full schedule is posted on the Park District's Hispanic Heritage Month page. The Park District said more events may be added during the month.

The first listed event is Nahui Ollin Aztec Dance at Berger Park, 6205 N. Sheridan Rd., on Sept. 15 from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

The program includes Indigenous Aztec/Conchero dance, live percussion, ceremonial songs and storytelling in English and Spanish. Dancers in traditional regalia honor nature, ancestral knowledge and the interconnectedness of all things, according to the Park District.

On Sept. 18, Calumet Park, 9801 S. Avenue G, will host Empowerment and Connection Through Piñatas from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Participants will write accomplishments or affirmations on strips of paper before making their own piñatas, the Park District said.

Gage Park, 2411 W. 55th St., holds a Hispanic Heritage Month celebration on Sept. 19 from noon to 4 p.m.

The event features the Tierra Colombiana Dance Ensemble and arts and crafts with artists from Central and South America, along with art vendors and food.

Calumet Park presents Christian Larumbe: Refugio In The Parks on Oct. 3 from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

The concert is built around Larumbe's album "Refugio," which translates to "shelter." The Park District described the program as reflecting the comfort classic Latin American songs provided Larumbe during years away from home.

West Lawn Park, 4233 W. 65th St., hosts its 6th Annual Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration on Oct. 8 from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

The event includes cultural exhibits, live performances, vendors, arts and crafts and other activities.

Nahui Ollin Aztec Dance also appears at West Lawn Park on Oct. 8 from 6:15 p.m. to 7:15 p.m.

Humboldt Park, 1440 N. Humboldt Boulevard, presents the Chicago Latino Dance Festival on Oct. 11 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

The free annual event is produced by the International Latino Cultural Center and highlights Latino dance and cultural traditions.

The schedule closes with Fiesta Mexicana: Interactive Family Show at Bogan Park, 3939 W. 79th St., on Oct. 13 from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

The program includes a story from the Huasteca region about "La Acamaya" and ends with a folk version of "La Bamba" from Veracruz.

All listed events are free and open to all ages. The Park District said attendees should check its holiday event page for updates.