BEAUMONT, Texas — Sunday night, the City of Beaumont kicked off Hispanic Heritage Month. People from all over Southeast Texas kicked showed up for the fourth annual Viva Beaumont Hispanic Heritage Festival.
" I don't know how to explain how much I love to celebrate my heritage," said Little Miss Mexican Heritage, Jennika Triana.
With the music, food and dancing, the fourth annual Viva Beaumont Hispanic Heritage Festival looked to bring Southeast Texans together.
11-year-old Jennika Triana is this years Little Miss Mexican Heritage from the Mexican Heritage Society of Port Arthur. She came to perform folkloric dancing.
"We're happy to bring like smiles to everybody's faces," said Triana.
Hispanic Heritage Fest shines an important light on the Hispanic community in Southeast Texas.
"Hispanic Heritage Fest is one that's really important to the city cause it brings the community together to celebrate such a vibrant part of our community, and our culture," said Emily Wheeler Director of Events Services City of Beaumont.
The event featured many activities for families to chose from such as a live mariachi band, lucha libre wrestlers, traditional foods, and even a human claw machine.
"We live it all year long. We eat this food all year long but this is our opportunity. This is the month for us to share it with everyone and not hold back," said Ines Alvidres.
Alvidres set up a booth that let people help her paint a canvas.
"Put a guitar, put a cactus. I want to embrace Lamar by adding a cardinal. Then I have a moon and a sun, embracing nature, and big fiesta flags on top because this is a fiesta," said Alvidres.
But Alvidres' favorite symbol is right in the middle of the painting.
"Everything that is made in Mexico has this big saying 'Hecho En Mexico'. I decided to come out with 'Hecho En Beaumont, Texas'," said Alvidres.
It's all about creating a deeper understanding of Hispanic Culture.
"If you really want to come and learn about our culture come to these events, you'll learn so much," said Triana.