Tulare Historical Museum hosts its third annual celebration to showcase Hispanic folklorico dancers, community groups and local food
TULARE – Tulare Historical Museum is hosting its third annual Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration with more activities geared toward children this year.
On Sept. 24 Tulare Historical Museum will celebrate Hispanic Heritage at the museum located at 444 W. Tulare Ave., in Tulare from 12p.m to 4 p.m. The event will feature live music, folkloric dancers, raffles and prizes, community booths and fire truck and museum tours.
“This one’s a lot more geared towards children, I think than we’ve done in the past,” Dawn Sabala, executive director and curator for the Tulare Historical Museum said. “Trying to get the families excited, the kids excited and everybody coming out.”
The event will be similar to previous years, only with more of a focus on children in the raffles and advertising. Sabala said their previous events that have been student focused have had the best turn out. Food will be provided by local Tulare restaurant Taco Riendo. There will be a children’s bicycle raffled off, as well as a Raising Cane’s gift basket. The basket was donated by Raising Cane’s Tulare and is about a $75 value according to Sabala.
Sabala said when the museum hosts events involving students, there is a better turn out “[Student involvement} is just a really good way to get people out and coming over here, post COVID,” Sabala said.
The celebration welcomes back classical singer, Rosalinda Verde Alexander to sing to participants for a second year. She will begin performing at 2 p.m. Verde Alexander founded the Visalia Opera Company in 2009 and now focuses on her company, Green Rose Productions. The organization is a multifaceted creative arts production agency whose goal is to create art events that build community. She was trained to sing classically at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego.
In addition to Verde Alexander, folkloric dancers from Community Center Arts and Technology (CCAT) and Grupo Folklorico Perla de Mexico are scheduled to perform. CCAT will begin at 12:30 p.m. followed by the group Grupo Folklorico Perla de Mexico who is returning to perform for their second year as well.
For the first time, the museum is partnering with the Tulare Fire Department who will have a fire truck on the premises for children to explore and tours to be given. Local organizations HACER Hispanic Alliance for Culture, Education and Recognition (HACER), RADIO LAZER 100.5FM, and CCAT Fresno will also have fun outdoor booths.
In addition to the event, the Tulare Historical Museum will be featuring an art exhibit, opening on Sept. 22 and running until Oct. 29. The exhibit, DENTIDAD: Celebrating Hispanic Culture in the Arts, will feature artwork reflecting the unique life and energy inspired by Hispanic culture. It will be on display in the Heritage Art Gallery and an opening reception will take place on Sept. 22 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
The Tulare Historical Museum has also partnered with Arte Americas for the history exhibit, Searching for Joaquin: Mexican Bandits in 1850s Valley History. The display will be available from Sept. 22 through Nov. 5, in the museum’s Depot Gallery. The exhibit examines the Gold Rush period of Valley history through the stories of Joaquín Murrieta. Murrieta is a symbol of resistance in the Mexican American population and celebrated in the annual Cabalgata horse ride each July on the Valley’s West Side.
This event has been generously sponsored by J.D. Heiskell & Co. and is free and open to the public. For more information, visit our website at www.tularehistoricalmuseum.org.
The Tulare Historical Museum opened in 1985 on the site of Tulare’s first permanent public-school house. The Museum’s beautifully crafted exhibits showcase Tulare’s unique history, including the Yokuts Indians, the area’s first inhabitants, and the founding of Tulare by the Southern Pacific Railroad. The museum features special collections dedicated to Tulare’s hometown heroes, including Olympic champions Bob Mathias and Sim Iness; while also being home to the Manuel Toledo Military Collection, one of the most comprehensive military collections in the Central Valley.
The museum offers guided tours of these exhibits, and has a scheduled Calendar of Events with temporary art, historical, cultural and holiday exhibits on view in its Heritage Art Gallery and Depot Gallery. Most recently the museum hosted a student art show, an event for Portuguese heritage month as well as a Japanese internment talk. For more event information, visit tularehistoricalmuseum.org/events.
