Hispanic Heritage Month 2026
September 15 marks the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month, and the library is looking forward to commemorating the occasion with a variety of programs. We invite you to learn about local Latino history, play games with family, enjoy films, cook, craft, and more. Of course, we also encourage you to explore our collection for titles that highlight the culture, history, and impact of the Hispanic and Latino community. You can learn more about Heritage and Identity Months through Henrico County’s Outreach and Engagement Department.
PROGRAMS
ADULTS
- National Hispanic Heritage Month Film Festival: Director Spotlight on Guillermo del Toro
- Screenings hosted at Twin Hickory Library
- Tuesday, September 22, 10AM-12:30PM: The Shape of Water (2017, R, 119 min.)
- Tuesday, September 29, 10AM-1PM: Nightmare Alley (2021, R, 140 min.)
- Tuesday, October 6, 10AM-12:30PM: Pan’s Labyrinth (2006, R, 112 min.)
- Tuesday, October 13, 10AM-1PM: Crimson Peak (2015, R, 119 min.)
- Nuestras Historias: Latinos in Richmond
- Thursday, September 24, 6:30-7:30PM at Libbie Mill
- The Valentine, the only museum specialized in the history of the Richmond region, presents Nuestras Historias: Latinos in Richmond based on their 2017 exhibit of the same name. This program explores the diverse experiences of Latinos in the Richmond area. Through interviews, objects, and images, hear the stories of entrepreneurs, religious leaders, and individuals who have created community in Richmond. Geared toward adults and teens in grades 9-12.
- Cook & Book: Quick & Easy Tacos
- Monday, September 28, 7-8:30PM at Varina
- Join Cristina Ramirez of Varina Area Library to learn a few quick and easy taco recipes, how to prepare a variety of toppings, and create your own taco bar at home. View additional programs in the Cook and Book series.
- Animation for Adults: Coco
- Monday, October 5, 6-8PM at Gayton
- Animated films are for adults too! In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, join our screening of Coco (2017, PG, 109 min.). In Mexico, a boy named Miguel dreams of being a musician like his hero, black-and-white film star Ernesto de la Cruz. When Miguel sneaks into Ernesto's mausoleum on the night of Día de los Muertos, he sets off a chain of events that will change him and his family forever.
- Teach Yourself Spanish
- Tuesday, October 6, 2-3PM at Fairfield
- Tuesday, October 13, 6-7PM at Gayton
- This workshop is a perfect way to begin or expand your Spanish language learning journey. An array of language learning resources that are free with a library card will be covered. The use of both Rosetta Stone and Transparent Language online tools will be demonstrated and suggestions on ways to improve reading and listening skills will be shared.
- Bingo en Español
- Tuesday, October 6, 6-7PM at Twin Hickory
- Meet us at Twin Hickory Library if you are a beginning or intermediate level Spanish-speaker. Test your basic Spanish vocabulary skills in this fun, friendly, and noncompetitive game of Spanish language Bingo for adults. Participate for a chance to win a prize. Children ages 5-17 may participate along with an adult.
- Libbie Mill Afternoon & Evening Book Discussions
- Tuesday, October 13: 1-2PM AND 7-8PM at Libbie Mill
- Cantoras: A Novel by Caro de Roberts
TEENS
- In the Heights
- Tuesday, September 29, 6-8:30PM at Fairfield
- Bring some friends, watch In the Heights (2021, PG-13, 143 min), and snack on some traditional bodega treats.
- Create a Nicho
- Monday, October 12, 6:30-8PM at Fairfield
- Registration required. Learn about nichos, a shadow box folk art made throughout Latin America. We’ll talk about the origin of nichos and look at how they’ve evolved. Then make your own shadow box - whether it's to honor a loved one, carry your beloved trinkets, or even to show off your fandom.
- Teen Glow Art: Pumpkins & Skulls
- Tuesday, October 13, 4:30-5:30PM at Twin Hickory
- Registration required. Get yourself ready for Halloween or Día de Los Muertos by decorating a craft pumpkin or skull with glow-in-the-dark paint. All craft materials will be provided. Library materials with other spooky craft ideas will be available at the program for browsing and checkout.
KIDS + ALL AGES
- Let's Play Lotería
- Wednesday, September 16, 3-4PM at Sandston
- Wednesday, September 30, 6-7PM at Tuckahoe
- Join us for an afternoon of fun as we learn about and play a popular game that is part of Mexico's cultural heritage: Lotería. Beginners are welcome.
- Crafting Tissue Paper Marigold Garlands
- Saturday, October 3, 10AM-12PM at Twin Hickory
- Registration required. Marigold garlands, or cempasúchil, are essential for Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) as they guide spirits to the ofrenda (altar) using their vibrant orange color and pungent scent. These flowers represent the fragility of life and are used to decorate homes, altars, and gravesites during the celebration.
COLLECTION
Picture Books
- Finding My Wave by Alexandra Katona
- The Last Tamale by Orlando Mendiola
- Martina Has Too Many Tías by Emma Otheguy
- My Papi’s Hands by Melissa Seron Richardson
- New Shoes for Leo by Lauren Agra Deedy
- No More Señora Mimí by Meg Medina (also available on Hoopla)
- Not Far From Here by Nydia Armendia-Sánchez
- Papá’s Magical Water-Jug Clock by Jesús Trejo (also available on Hoopla)
- The Perfect Place by Matt de la Peña
- Uno Más, One More: A Latino Retelling of an Old Scottish Ballad by Silvia López
- Vera La Valiente is Scared by Ana Siqueira (also available on Hoopla)
- When We Find Her by Mia García
Kids
- Bold, Brilliant, and Latine: Meet 52 Latine and Hispanic Heroes from Past and Present by Alyssa Reynoso-Morris (also available on Hoopla)
- Borderlands and the Mexican American Story (Race to the Truth series) by David Dorado Romo
- Dolores Huerta (She Persisted series) by Monica Brown
- Dreams From Many Rivers: A Hispanic History of the United States Told in Poems by Margarita Engle (also available on Hoopla)
- Enter the Wigmaster by Raúl the Third
- The Extraordinary Orbit of Alex Ramirez by Jasminne Paulino
- Forest Fighter: The Story of Chico Mendes by Anita Ganeri
- Hopeful Heroes: More Poems About Amazing Latinos by Margarita Engle
- The Mystery of the Stolen World Cup Trophy by Angela Cervantes (also available on Hoopla in English and Spanish)
- Monster Locker series by Jorge Augusto Aguirre
- Pack Your Bags, Maggie Diaz by Nina Moreno (also available on Hoopla)
- Sol Goes for Goal! by Julio Anta
- Treasure Tracks by Sallie Anne Rodriguez (also available on Hoopla)
- Valentina Salazar is NOT a Monster Hunter by Zoraida Cordova (also available on Hoopla)
- The Water Bears by Kimberly Baker
- The Win Over by Jennifer Torres (also available on Hoopla)
Teens
- Burn Baby Burn by Meg Medina
- Camila Núñez’s Year of Disasters by Miriam Zoila Pérez
- Caught in a Bad Fauxmance by Elle Gonzalez Rose
- Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo (also available on Hoopla)
- High Spirits: Short Stories on Dominican Diaspora by Camille Gomera-Tavarez (also available on Hoopla)
- Latina Superheroes series by Kayden Phoenix (also available on Hoopla)
- Living Beyond Borders: Growing Up Mexican in America by Margarita Longoria
- Mexican Whiteboy by Matt de la Peña
- On the Wings of La Noche by Vanessa L. Torres
- Salvación by Sandra Proudman
- The Story of My Anger by Jasminne Méndez
- The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas (also available in Spanish on Hoopla)
- These Vengeful Wishes by Vanessa Montalban
- Wild Tongues Can’t Be Tamed: 15 Voices from the Latinx Diaspora edited by Saraciea Fennell
Adults
- The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
- Chilling Effect by Valeries Valdes
- Diasporican: A Puerto Rican Cookbook by Illyanna Maisonet
- Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo (also available on Hoopla in English and Spanish)
- The Great Divide by Cristina Henriquez (also available on Hoopla)
- Harvest of Empire: A History of Latinos in America by Juan Gonzalez
- ¡Hola Papi! How to Come Out in a Walmart Parking Lot and Other Life Lessons by John Paul Brammer
- Last Night in Brooklyn by Xochitl Gonzalez
- Latino Poetry: The Library of America Anthology edited by Rigoberto González
- My Name Is Emilia del Valle by Isabel Allende
- Our Migrant Souls: A Meditation on Race and the Meanings and Myths of "Latino" by Héctor Tobar (also available in Spanish on Hoopla)
- Oye by Melissa Mogollon
- River Woman, River Demon by Jennifer Givhan (also available on Hoopla)
- The White Hot by Quiara Alegría Hudes
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