SPRINGFIELD – If you’re looking for a family-friendly event celebrating literacy with free books, kid-friendly arts and crafts, and Latinx heritage, you’ll be pleased to find one in Springfield.
On Friday, April 25, Comunidad Y Herencia Cultural will celebrate Día de los Niños (Children’s Day) with Springfield Public Library’s Día de los Libros (Book Day) at Guy Lee Elementary, 755 Harlow Road, Springfield, from 5:30 to 7 p.m.
Mark Riddle, Kristen Cur, and Betty Morales represent the library at the Dia de los Libros in 2023.
Cottage Grove also has plans to commemorate El día de los niños/El día de los libros. South Lane School District and Friends of the Cottage Grove Public Library are partnering to celebrate Día on Wednesday, April 30, from 2:30-4 p.m. at 700 E. Gibbs Ave. There will be a storytime and a free book giveaway at this event.
“This event celebrates our children, our stories, our languages, and our cultures,” said Kristen Curé, the Latino Liaison and Spanish Services Librarian at SPL. “The celebrations become truly joyous community celebrations — our partners bring art, culture, and activities.”
Guests can expect musical and dance performances for kids, a mariachi band, kid-friendly activities such as face painting, complimentary toys and food, informational booths about local services and programs, and resources for the Latino community.
“Every year at Día, the library provides a free book for every child (birth-18) in English or Spanish,” said Curé, adding that the SPL previously received a grant from the Springfield Rotary, which allows the library to give out Spanish-language books to adults.
“Studies show two key elements in supporting children’s learning to read are the number of books in a household and a parent or guardian who models reading,” she said. “Research also shows the importance of promoting literacy in the native language of a family to develop strong literacy skills in a second language. In addition to giving away books to support family literacy, the library will also sign up people for library cards at the event.”
Guests can also enjoy dance performances by Raices de Oregón.
“Our goal is to reconnect our students with their heritages/ Mexican culture through Folklórico dancing,” said Eliborio Limon, president and artistic director of the Folkloric Dance Academy. “We want to provide a healthy place, not only to dance but to build a healthy self-worth within our dance classes and the ability to perform in front of their community.”
Comunidad Y Herencia Cultural will teach the art of charrería (Mexican horsemanship), like cattle roping with plastic cattle and bales of hay set up. Another art of charrería will be a leather workshop, in which participants will sew a leather wallet or a cardholder.
Antonio Huerta grew up in Mexico, where his family made a living raising livestock. His father and grandparents were talented horsemen, inspiring his passion. He has been practicing Charrería for two decades.
In 2020, Huerta incorporated Comunidad Y Herencia Cultural as a nonprofit because he saw “the need for culturally and linguistically relevant activities for the Latinx community.”
“There is a lot to be said about creating a space and opportunities where families feel acknowledged and celebrated,” Huerta said. “It is especially important for youth because they can explore their identity. It is a great learning opportunity for the broader community. “It is important as communities to hold those spaces because I sincerely believe the arts diversity is one of our strengths as communities,” Huerta said.
