Fun Starts for Latino Heritage Month

Several area events this weekend will launch Latino Heritage Month in Orange County, which runs from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15.

A Mexican Independence Day celebration will be held at Cal State Fullerton tonight from 6:30 p.m. to midnight in the University Center on campus. The party, “El Grito,” will feature mariachi music, traditional Mexican food and a speech by Jose Luis Morales, a Cal State Fullerton graduate who is a community activist in Pomona. A dance will start at 9 p.m.

The Movimento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan student group is sponsoring the event, which is open to the public. After 9 p.m. a Cal State Fullerton identification card is required for admittance.

Also in Fullerton on Sunday will be a dance and music program, “The Glory of Mexico--Morelia.”

Morelia, in the Mexican state of Michoacan, has been Fullerton’s sister city for 33 years. Known as a “golden heritage city,” Morelia prides itself with its traditional artisanry and colonial buildings. It is northwest of Mexico City.

Highlights will include a performance by Ballet Folklorico de Michoacan and an exhibition of traditional Michoacan costumes. An original watercolor by Orange County artist Marciano Martinez will be the prize of a raffle.

The event, which is jointly sponsored by the Fullerton Sister City Assn. and the Fullerton College Mexican American Students Group, will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday at the Fullerton College Campus Theater, 321 E. Chapman Ave.

Advance tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children and students. At the door, tickets are $12 for adults and $6 for children and students. Proceeds will go to a scholarship fund. Information: (714) 743-9884.

Westminster will hold Dia de la Familia from 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday in Sigler Park, 7200 Plaza Street. Mariachi, Latin music and dancers are scheduled.

Santa Ana will host a two-day Fiesta Patrias this weekend to honor eight countries’ independence: Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua, Chile and Belize. The fiesta runs Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m to 10 p.m. on 4th Street, between Broadway and French Streets downtown.