Celebrating Heritage and Making Connections

 

At long last, that Fall weather I’ve been dreaming of has arrived. It will go perfectly with tonight’s Latin-inspired group fitness class at Clarksville Commons, which will be held outdoors on the plaza. I must share this event description from the press release because I have never seen such scintillating prose invested in exercise. It’s impressive.

Get ready to sizzle this fall as Latin dance-inspired group fitness classes set the stage for unforgettable Wednesday evenings! Join us from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on September 20 & 27, and October 4 & 11 for an electrifying experience. Wendy Robinson, a dynamic local fitness instructor, will be your guide on the plaza, ensuring that everyone, regardless of age or experience level, can groove to the beat and get moving. This vibrant collaboration between Clarksville Commons and Anytime Fitness is unstoppable and will happen rain or shine, with indoor options available as needed.

I feel compelled to point out that you will not literally be sizzling, as the temperatures are predicted to be around 75 by that time of the day. And that’s a good thing.

Clarksville Commons has a variety of events planned for Hispanic Heritage Month and I’ll be continuing to mention them in the coming weeks. 

What is National Hispanic Heritage Month? I’m glad you asked. 

Each year, Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15, by celebrating the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America.

The observation started in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson and was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to cover a 30-day period starting on September 15 and ending on October 15. - - NationalHispanicHeritageMonth.gov

I did a little digging around about the terms Hispanic and Latino. (Both are included in Hispanic Heritage Month.)

Image from verywell website 

Image from Bustle video

The first image made a lot of sense to me. The second one didn’t until Imwatched the short video is is taken from. (It’s about four minutes long.)

Howard County has a lot going on for Hispanic Heritage Month. The Columbia Association kicked off their celebrations with a Latin Dance Night at the Lakefront on Saturday night, and the Howard County Library System began their month of activities with Celebración de la Herencia Hispana/Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration at the Elkridge Branch that afternoon. And there’s a lot more in store, so, If you want to know more about what the library is doing for National Hispanic Heritage Month, go here.

Before I go: get out your calendar and write in Saturday, October 14th for the first (and hopefully annual) Hispanic Heritage Festival to be held in Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods.

County Executive Calvin Ball, in partnership with the Inner Arbor Trust, are bringing a free festival of music, performance, food, and the arts to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. The event will be from 12 - 5 pm and you can learn more and get your free tickets at this link.