September 15 to october 15 is Hispanic Heritage Month!
Why this month?
Hispanic Heritage Month begins on September 15, the anniversary of independence for Latin-American countries Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica and Nicaragua. Over the next 30 days, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16 and 18 respectively, and Columbus Day, or Día de la Raza, is on October 12. The 30-day celebration wraps up on October 15.
Hispanic vs. Latino(a)
Both Hispanic and Latino(a) Americans celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, but what’s the difference? Hispanic refers to an individual with ancestry in a country that primarily speaks Spanish, while Latino(a) refers to an individual with ancestry in Latin America (Central and South America).
HISPANIC ENTREPRENEURS & COMMUNITY LEADERS
GARDEN OF EDITH
EDITH VILLAVICENCIO
Edith Villavicencio grew up in Morelos, Mexico, a region often referred to as The Eternal Spring. “I spent countless hours alongside my grandfather as a little girl, my hands in the mud, planting flowers and appreciating the beauty of our own backyard.” Gardening has always been the source of her joy.
Edith emigrated to the U.S. at age 12 and after a career detour found her way back to flowers. She’s trained in the U.S., Mexico, Ecuador, Colombia, France and across Europe, mastering installation techniques, researching sustainable materials, and understanding the maintenance of rare flower and plant life.
Garden of Edith Floral Design
54 S Orange Avenue in South Orange
NEIGHBORS WINE SHOP
CHRIS HANDY
Chris’ journey started not too far, but very long ago growing up in Maplewood with his family that included his mother who was born and raised in Colombia.
”From a young age, I've been fortunate to experience the richness of Colombian culture through food, traditions, and the warmth of my family. My love for food and travel has been a constant in my life. I adore exploring new places, immersing myself in local cuisines, and learning from the diverse cultures the world has to offer.
Today, along with my wife Katrina, we own a wine shop in downtown South Orange called Neighbors Wine Shop. Our store is not just a business but also a place where we share our passion for wine and diverse upbringings with the local community. We offer a curated selection of drinks from around the world, each with its own story and unique flavor. I hope you'll join us in this celebration, and together we can explore and savor the cultural delights that the Hispanic world has to offer. Cheers!”
MITI MITI
GEORGE Constantinou
George is the co-owner, along with Farid Ali of Miti Miti Latin Street Food, a Latin restaurant, with the mission to “expand the idea of what Latin culture and Latin food means to you.”
George & Farid are co-owners of Mil Gustos Hospitality Group, which runs Miti Miti Latin Street Food here in South Orange as well as Miti Miti Modern Mexican, Medusa Greek Taverna and Bogota Latin Bistro in Brooklyn plus Dirty Bird Chicken set to open in 2023.
Miti Miti Latin Street Food
10 Sloan Street in South Orange
Artistry Salon by Ampy
Ampy & Heysel Moreno
These sisters love working together! Heysel runs the business, While Ampy works behind the chair. Their parents are both from Ecuador so it’s empowering being a minority woman owned business. Ampy has been able to overcome her learning disabilities when she is working behind the chair. Having ADD does not stop her from multitasking and focusing when working on clients. She loves growing at her craft and loves continuing education. We love watching our staff grow day to day to amazing professionals
TORO LOCO
TERESA GUZMAN
Teresa Guzman (no relation to "El Chapo") is the owner of Toro Loco Mexican Restaurant. I am known as "Mom" to many of the loyal customers who have passed through our doors over the years and "Tía" (aunt in Spanish) to our workers. When Toro Loco first opened its doors in 1988, I was afraid the SOMA community would not be accepting of a Mexican restaurant coming to the local dining scene, but thankfully they were and for the past 34 years have continued to patronize Toro Loco.
AMBIANCE JEWELRS
MARCO TAVARA
Marco Tavara, owner of Ambiance Jewelers is originally from Peru. He is married with two daughters and a son and has been in the jewelry business since 1984. Early on, Marco started his career as a jewelry designer at Krementz & Co in Newark, NJ and worked there for 6 years learning the trade. Marco began working in South Orange at Ambiance under the previous owner in 1994 until he eventually bought the business in 2007. Marco’s specialties are model making and jewelry repair. He offers many services you can’t get online including jewelry & watch repair, watch battery replacements, pearl restoration and restringing, engraving, etc. Many services are also available same day, while you wait.
SHOW YOUR SUPPORT
South Orange Downtown Hispanic Entrepreneur Locations
Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with South Orange Downtown by supporting hispanic owned businesses throughout the district for this month and all year long. This is an easy and effective way to show your support of the incredible entrepreneurs whose products and services deserve patronage in the district
UPCOMING EVENTS
HOLA FEST - OCT 14
This event merges the popular Seton Village Food Truck and Craft Beer Festival with Hola Fest, a cultural event celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month. The event includes several local food trucks, local restaurant offerings and specials, a beer garden sponsored by Gaslight Brewery, and a full array of music and performances on the main stage, located at the corner of Fairview Avenue and Irvington Avenue. Additionally, there will be free face painting and an interactive art project for the public along Irvington Avenue.
