Latino Heritage Festival Featuring Latinos in Sports

 
The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Latino invites you to step up to the plate for a home run of a festival that’s sure to score big. This year, we celebrate the impact Latina and Latino athletes have had on the world of sports—from the soccer field to the boxing ring, the baseball diamond to the fairway. Go for the gold and cheer on the champions who made history! 
 
Interactive Sports Demonstrations

Zone: Interactive Sports Demonstrations
Location: Outdoors, Madison Drive (National Mall Exit)

• 11:00 a.m. DC SCORES Soccer Demonstration
• 1:00 p.m. Hugo’s Lucha Libre Demonstration
• 1:30 p.m. Capoeira DC Demonstration
• 2:00 p.m. AjupemeMX American Month Ball Game Association: Mesoamerican Ball Game Demonstration
• 3:00 p.m. Hugo’s Lucha Libre Demonstration
• 3:30 p.m. Capoeira DC Demonstration
• 4:30 p.m. AjupemeMX American Month Ball Game Association: Mesoamerican Ball Game Demonstration

Zone: On the National Stage Conversations
Location: 1 West, Coulter Plaza

• 12:00 p.m. On Stage Conversation: Carlos “El Famoso” Hernandez, Salvadoran-American IBF Super Featherweight Champion Boxer
  Interviewer: Marysol Castro, Public Address Announcer, New York Mets
   
• 1:00 p.m. On Stage Conversation: The Journey to the Olympics
  Jajaira Gonzalez, Olympian US Women’s Boxing ‘24
  Giuseppe Lanzone, Olympian US Men’s Rowing, ’08 and ’12
  Marysol Castro, Public Address Announcer, New York Mets (Moderator)
   
• 1:30 p.m. Meet the Artist: Esperanza Rosas
   
• 2:00 p.m. On Stage Conversation: Latinas in Sports and Sports Broadcasting
  Veronica Alvarez, A’s - Coordinator of Player Development- Latin America, USA Baseball Women’s National Team – Manager, MLB Ambassador- Girl’s Baseball
  Marysol Castro, Public Address Announcer, New York Mets
  Robin Morey, Collections Specialist, National Museum of the American Latino
  Esperanza Rosas, Artist
  Jennifer Yepez-Blundell, Cofounder, DRAFTED (Moderator)
   
• 3:00 p.m. Meet the Artist: Esperanza Rosas
   
• 3:30 p.m. On Stage Conversation: The Long Game and the Mustang Miracle Team of Del Rio, Texas
  Guadalupe Felan, San Felipe Mustang Player
  Gregory Vasquez IV, Actor, Portrayed Gene Vasquez in The Long Game Feature Film
  Leonel J. Vasquez, Son of Gene Vasquez, Original San Felipe Mustang Player
  Jennifer Yepez-Blundell, Cofounder, DRAFTED (Moderator)

Molina Family Latino Gallery
Location: 1 East

• 11:00 a.m. ¡Presente! A Latino History of the United States Exhibition Highlights Tour
• 12:30 p.m. Diversión Saturday Storytime
  Book: Niño Wrestles the World, By Yuyi Morales
• 2:00 p.m. ¡Presente! A Latino History of the United States Exhibition Highlights Tour
• 2:30 p.m. Diversión Saturday Storytime
  Book: She’s Got This, By Laurie Hernandez, Illustrations By Nina Mata
   
• 3:30 p.m. DC SCORES Poetry Reading

Location: 1 Center Main Hall, Warner Brothers Theater

• 12:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m. Film Screening: The Long Game

 

On-Going

Zone: Family Fun Hands-on and Community Partner Showcase
Location: 1 East, John Bull Train and 1 Center Main Hall

• Create-IT! Make your own Lucha Libre Mask
• Create-IT! Design and Build your own Sports Field
• Create-IT! Design your own Baseball Trading Card
• Strike a Pose Photobooth
• Ajupememx American Month Ball Game Association: Mesoamerican Ball Game Pop-Up Display
• DC SCORES
• La Clínica del Pueblo
• Latino Outdoors
• United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)

Zone: General Motors Learning Lounge
Location: 1 East, Molina Family Latino Gallery

• Latino Sports Trivia Game
• What Matches?

Zone: Interactive Sports Exhibits and Live Demonstrations
Location: Outdoors, Madison Drive (National Mall Exit)

• Learn to Putt: Putting Lab
  
   

About the Latino Heritage Festival 
The Latino Heritage Festival, organized by the National Museum of the American Latino, celebrates the richness and diversity of Latino culture, both past and present. Honoring the vibrant histories and traditions that have shaped Latino communities across the United States, the festival shines a spotlight on the artists, athletes, storytellers, and culture bearers who continue to keep these stories and traditions alive. 
  
The annual festival offers free performances, workshops, demonstrations, and hands-on activities. Visitors are encouraged to immerse themselves in the experience—whether it’s dancing to live music, trying their hand at traditional crafts, learning recipes from different Latino cuisines, or engaging with cultural experts. This dynamic festival is a celebration of heritage, community, and the shared experiences that unite us all.