Loteria, Tortillas, and Ocotillo Dreams Bring to Life Latino History
Loteria, Tortillas, and Ocotillo Dreams Bring to
Life Latino History and Culture at the Autry Latino Heritage Month Celebration
Saturday, September 17, 2011, 11:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Museum Rates Apply / Free for Autry Members
Free admission for children under 12
The Autry celebrates Latino Heritage Month with activities for the whole family. The day includes specialty crafts, hands-on demonstrations, storytelling, a test of your knowledge about Latin American cultures and traditions, and a fun-filled game of Lotería!
Creative new activities will please even the most seasoned celebrator as Dr. Kathleen Contreras shares her bilingual book Braids/Trencitas during storytime. In the book, abuela weaves colorful tales as she weaves Isabela’s hair inspiring her granddaughter to create and write stories of her own. Dr. Contreras then leads a lively session of Loteria, the Mexican game of chance. Next, families are invited to create their very own Loteriabookmark.
Visitors are invited to the Autry Cafe’s outdoor grill for hands-on tortilla-making. Each family member gets a ball of masa (dough), pats it flat, and then hands it to the cook for placement on the hot grill. Meanwhile, families can decorate their own custom label for their take-home tortillas. The Autry Cafe will also have a mouth-watering menu featuring delicious Latin cuisine. Choose from the staple menu of breakfast burritos, Mexican hot chocolate, and lunch tostada, or select from the specialty menu created for this day.
In addition, author Melinda Palacio will discuss her debut book Ocotillo Dreams, set against the backdrop of the migrant sweeps of 1997 in Chandler, Arizona. The Autry Store will feature a special Mercado of local Latino artisans showcasing their jewelry, folk art, paintings, and other colorful creations. Visitors will be able to speak to the artists directly and discover the wonderful stories behind each work of art.
Visitors can also take a new self-guided Latino Heritage Tour that explores the stories of the Latino experience in the West through art and artifacts found in the Autry’s core galleries.
