Dallas kicks off Hispanic Heritage Month festivities

DALLAS (CBSNewsTexas.com) - The Navarro Group with the City of Dallas is kicking off Hispanic Heritage Month Friday with its "VIVA DALLAS!" Mexican Independence Festival and "Grito" celebration.

The city will officially launch the celebration at noon Friday, Sept. 15 on the 6th floor of the Dallas City Hall Flag Room at 1500 Marilla St. 

The VIVA DALLAS festival will take place from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 16 at City Hall Plaza (1500 Marilla St.). The event aims to create a vibrant, cultural experience. There will be music, arts, crafts, fine spirits and ales, authentic Mexican street food and performances by Mariachis, Bandas and more.

There will be a music tribute to honor Norma Rocha Valles at 5:45 p.m. Then, the festival procession will begin at 6:00 p.m., which will be followed by the official Grito celebration at 6:30. Later, El Rancho Supermercado is sponsoring the 7:15 p.m. Grito contest, which has a $1,000 prize. 

The city of Dallas says the festival will be "showcasing diverse artistic and musical presentations, as well as a delectable array of Mexican dishes prepared by local restauranteurs and traditional food from various regions of Mexico."

Here are some local events to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15

• You can explore Mexican art at the Dallas Museum of Art
• You can take a photo with pop icon El Divo de Juárez at Mercado369
  
• You can visit the Latino Cultural Center
• You can learn to dance Argentine Tango, Cuban Salsa, Brazilian Samba, Meringue, Cha Cha, Bolero and more in a group class or private lesson at Studio 22
  
• You can visit the new exhibit at the Meadows Museum called Spanish Light: Sorolla in American Collections, open Sept. 17, 2023 through Jan. 7, 2024