a bunch of orange dahlias surrounded by small purple flowers along Seasonal Walk

Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month

September 15 through October 15

On-site & Online

Honoring Cultural Traditions and Botanical Heritage

Celebrate botanical and cultural highlights during Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month with an array of programming. On September 27, join us for an in-person Cumbia and Merengue dance class, a Spanish-language tour of Van Gogh’s Flowers, and more. Throughout the month, enjoy family-friendly activities that spotlight the food plants of Mexico and Central and South America in the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden.

Two people photograph each other among bright yellow flower sculptures

Tour Las Flores de Van Gogh en Español

Sábados, Septiembre 27 & Octubre 11 a las 11 a.m.
El encuentro sera en la entrada, parte adentro del Conservatorio Haupt

Encargo de un guía del NYBG, disfruta de bellas flores inspiradas en los iconicos cuandros pintados por Van Gogh durante un recorrido de 1 hora.

El tour sera en Español y esta incluido con la compra de un boleto “Todo Incluido” del NYBG.

Van Gogh’s Flowers Tour in Spanish

Saturdays, September 27 & October 11; 11 a.m.
Meet inside the Haupt Conservatory Entrance

With an NYBG Tour Guide, revel in the beauty of the flowers that inspired Van Gogh’s iconic paintings on a one-hour walking tour.

This tour will be given in Spanish and is free with All-Garden Pass admission.

A child pots up a green seedling in a green pot

Rooted In Plants: Celebrate Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month at the Everett Children's Adventure Garden

September 13 through October 26
Tuesdays through Fridays; 1:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Saturdays & Sundays; 11 a.m. through 5:30 p.m.

Come celebrate Autumn and Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month at the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden! Discover a variety of specimens from the Cucurbit family and explore them up close, while learning about ancient squash and how it migrated throughout Central and South America to become the fruit we know and love today. Dive into the history of maize (corn), as well as molcajetes and tejolotes (mortar and pestles), then take a turn grinding maize yourself. While you’re here, join our Teen Explainers as they create Dia de los Muertos masks using natural materials, explore autumnal tales in our book box, and pot up your own fall plant to take home.

Two people in colorful dance outfits pose for a photo in front of a wall of pink and orange flowers

Dance Class: Cumbia & Merengue

September 27
Master Classes at 1 & 2 p.m.
Conservatory Plaza

¡Baila! Celebrate Hispanic and Latinx heritage through movement. Join an in-person guided dance class to learn merengue and cumbia steps from professional dancers Mark Saldana and Kacia Flórez. Show off your new moves on an open dance floor—all are welcome! Dance instruction will be bilingual with English and Spanish spoken language.

About the Dancers

Mark Saldana, aka Coolmarx, grew up as a social dancer during his teenage years. With years of experience, he now offers local Cumbia Sonidera dance lessons to his community. Born and raised in Queens, NY and now based in Brooklyn, Mark embraces all regional forms of Cumbia—from Cumbia Colombiana and Ecuatoriana to Peruana and Mexicana. The music he’ll be playing represents a mix of Mexican communities, and it has developed multiple styles of dancing, including Cumbia Sonidera. Coolmarx and his company performed at NYBG’s Orchid Nights: Mexican Modernism. Learn more about Coolmarx on Instagram.

Kacia Flórez is a Colombian-Ecuadorian Queens native dancer and singer-songwriter whose relationship to music is inspired by folkloric rhythms of Latin America. Her mission is to preserve and uplift genres that in recent years have been overshadowed by the commercialization of music. Kacia has performed for the Ecuadorian American Cultural Center, The Queens Museum, The Museum of Human Achievement, and has been involved with ongoing community work through Queens-based art collective Kaleidospace. She performed with Coolmarx’s company for NYBG’s Orchid Nights: Mexican Modernism.

A black and white photo of a person in a dark sweater examining a plant with a hand lens

From the Mertz Library: José Pérez Carabia

Learn about the life and work of Cuban botanist José Pérez Carabia, who identified and classified over 8,000 plant specimens—any of which can be found in NYBG’s Steere Herbarium.

Learn More

Look Closely at Plant Discovery with The Hand Lens

Magnify your knowledge of plants and culture through behind-the-scenes stories of adventure and discovery. Learn about the work of NYBG scientists and collaborators in Latin America and the Caribbean where they are leading efforts to conserve ecosystems that are among the most diverse in the world.

Get started with highlights from the collection featuring stories from the Caribbean and South America:

And learn more about behind-the-scenes stories at The Hand Lens.

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