It’s Hispanic Heritage Month! 🎉 From September 15 – October 15, we celebrate Hispanic culture and uplift Hispanic voices. And in a city with a large Hispanic population like Austin, there’s lots to celebrate this time of year!
We caught up with Nancy Flores, Editor and Publisher of Austin Vida, a digital news and culture site that amplifies, informs, and celebrates Austin’s Latine communities by sharing news, highlighting local voices, and spotlighting events and goings on around town. Read on to learn more about how Austin Vida is working to build and support the city’s Hispanic community.
Long Center: Welcome to Mid-Week Intermission! We usually like to ask folks for a song to go with their interview – anything come to mind?
Nancy Flores: Argentine DJ/producer Chancha Via Circuito – one of my faves for blending electronic and Latin American folk music – will be performing at Antone’s in late September. Listen to “Sueño en Paraguay” and take a sonic journey!
LC: Happy Hispanic Heritage Month! We’re so glad to have you. Care to introduce yourself and Austin Vida to our readers who might be unfamiliar?
Nancy Flores: Hola! I’m Nancy Flores, Editor and Publisher of Austin Vida, a digital Latine news and culture publication focused on telling the stories of the Latine community in Central Texas.
I grew up in the border town of Eagle Pass, Texas, and have been focused on writing about underrepresented communities in Austin for many years. At Austin Vida, we focus on everything from community news to stories about cultural arts. Another growing area of focus has been our reporting on culturally-relevant mental health news.
LC: So how did you find yourself becoming a journalist in Austin? How did Austin Vida get its start?
Nancy Flores: I’m a longtime journalist turned news entrepreneur who previously reported for the Austin American-Statesman and Austin 360. While I was there, I penned many articles on our city’s Latine community, its needs, growth and creative initiatives.
But more needed to be done to ensure that our community’s stories were consistently amplified. That’s why at the height of the pandemic, I took a big leap of faith by reviving and reimagining what Austin Vida – which had previously operated but had ceased publication – could look like for a new generation of bicultural Austinites. I’m grateful for all of the community support and folks who are helping us shape Austin Vida’s future.
Today, Austin Vida has new life and brings solutions-based journalism to the forefront with a growing team.
LC: Can you talk a bit about the importance of cultural community in a city with a large and growing Hispanic population?
Nancy Flores: A strong cultural community benefits everyone. Latine creatives are a big part of what make our city special with contributions to everything from live music to theater. Often their work is overlooked, and that’s why Austin Vida aims to shine a brighter light on the Latine cultural arts community, which can either help you feel seen or helps you understand something new.
LC: We love that Austin Vida helps instill a sense of belonging to the city’s Latine population by highlighting their stories, uplifting their voices, and sharing Hispanic events in Austin. What has it been like to witness this impact? Do you have a proudest moment?
Nancy Flores: I love when people tell us that our free monthly Cultura Guides, which curate the best of Latine cultural arts in the city, has helped them find community in Austin.
Some readers have told us that as a result of the Cultura Guides, they are closer as a family because they are finding events that resonate with them across generations.
We also recently published a community personal essay series called “My Austin Vida: Historias of Resilience.” These were powerful and vulnerable first-person stories and it was incredibly moving to see our essayists step on the stage during our summer community reading event and share their stories aloud. It’s important to know that your stories are valuable and deserving of being told.
LC: Amid an ongoing heavy news cycle, do you have any mental health resources you like to share with the Hispanic community?
Nancy Flores: As a solutions-journalism focused news organization, we aim for our articles to center the changemakers and community solutions for local issues.
We heard a lot of feedback while launching that folks didn’t want to read an article and then feel depressed afterwards. There’s always hope and resilience in our pieces.
That’s why we recently published an article where we asked Latina therapists about coping strategies during heavy news cycles from flood disasters to political news. Here’s what they said.
We also have quarterly mental health columns that people can access at any time.
LC: What’s got you excited during this year’s Hispanic Heritage Month? Any events you’re looking forward to?
Nancy Flores: Take a peek at Austin Vida’s September Cultura Guide this month for a glimpse at all the cool events we’ll be covering from the Centroamericanto Fest, which highlights Central American film and music, to the Mariachi Herencia de México concert at the Long Center in October.
Check out our Instagram page for a chance to win mariachi tickets!
LC: What do you hope for the future of Austin Vida, and the wider Hispanic community in Austin?
Nancy Flores: We are building our Cultura Warriors membership program to ensure that Austin Vida can carry out its mission for years to come.
We hope to grow with the community and co-create Austin Vida together to tell the stories that are most important to them.
Thanks, Nancy!
Check out Austin Vida’s September Cultura Guide for more to do this Hispanic Heritage Month!
At the Long Center, we’ve always got a new partnership or something cool we know you’ll want to check out! Find and follow us @longcenter on your social media platform of choice, and we’ll see you real soon.
We’re having a party! Our annual celebration of our mission to build communities through creative expression where we throw a FREE community bash and open house is right around the corner. Part block party, part arts fest, this day is all about honoring co-founder Dr. Teresa Lozano Long‘s vision of making the arts accessible to all. Right here, we’ve got your guide for all things Community Day so you’re prepared to explore the Long Center on September 6th. Read on for the goods!
LEARN MORE ABOUT TERESA >>
First off, get to know how it all started by learning a bit about Terry and what she was all about! She passed away in 2021, but her legacy lives on in the Long Center and beyond.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Saturday, September 6 | 11am-4pm
Doors Open @ 11am ➡️ RSVP HERE
Indoors AND Outdoors
All Ages
Come prepared for a full day of performances & activities with friends from all over town. Not to mention Austin favorite BubblePalooza presented by H-E-B!
WHO’S GONNA BE THERE
You of course, and plenty of other cool neighbors, plus performing arts groups, service organizations, food trucks, and more! Here’s the full lineup 👇
ATX Yoga Girl
Austin Classical Guitar
Austin Jazz Society
Austin Opera
Musicians of the Austin Symphony
Ballet Austin
Ballet Folklórico de Austin
Bike Story Night
Creative Action
DJ Cassandra
Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center
Girls on the Run
Ghisallo Cycling Initiative
Haydn Vitera of Mariachi Rock Revolution
Huston-Tillotson Jazz Collective
KMFA
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Los Papis Zumba
Natural Sciences Council
Oita ATX Summer Japan Festival &
Sun Dragon Seido Karate and Self Defense, NFP
Recovery Outside
Relay Fitness
Tapestry Dance Company
Texas Book Festival
Texas Robotics
The Parents’ Climate Community
UT Computer Science Roadshow
UT Kids Lab
Long-time Austin dwellers will recognize BubblePalooza as Long Center’s beloved, family-friendly summer event with activities and performances starring just that – bubbles. Back for the second time at our annual Community Day, this year’s event will take over the Long Center Terrace with more bubbles than you can handle. And heads up, BubblePalooza is sudsy, so a change of clothes for the kids is encouraged! 🫧
Ballet Austin will host their crowd-favorite program Rhythm on Stage on the Meredith Stage in Dell Hall. That’s right, you’ll be able to experience what it’s like to perform on the same stage as Ballet Austin! This all-ages activity welcomes the entire family for a free class, taught by Kerin Martinez, instructor from Ballet Austin’s Butler Center for Dance & Fitness. Dance experience is not required, but a positive attitude is 😉
Musicians of the Austin Symphony — Jessica Mathaes, Concertmaster & Alex Maynegre-Torra, Principal Keyboard — will also treat us to some classics in Dell Hall, and Austin Opera’s Resident Stars — tenor Lucas Hickman, mezzo Aviana Burkepile, and pianist Maimy Fong will also dazzle from the stage.
What a treat to have all of our Founding Resident Companies with us on the same day!
WHAT WILL THERE BE TO DO
There’s no shortage of things to do on Community Day! On top of performances going on inside and BubblePalooza outside, we’ve also got a full list of activities for ya:
📝 Explore all the Long Center’s nooks and crannies while completing a scavenger hunt or taking a backstage tour (check in at the Long Center table for those)
🧘 Chill out during Family Yoga with ATX Yoga Girl
✂️ Make a craft or play a game in the KIDosky Family Zone with Creative Action
🎟️ Visit our Box Office to learn about our Community Day ticket deals
🕺 Get moving with Los Papis Zumba
📱 Learn more about Google Store’s products and grab a free cookie in Rollins Lobby
🏈 Catch the game in the Gallery
🌟 Drop by the Long Center table to pick up some merch and learn about Membership
🤝 Chat with some local orgs working to make a difference in our Partner Showcase, underwritten by Frost Bank
🍔 Grab a bite at one of many food trucks
🥂 Sip a drink and enjoy the vibes
All of our inside and outside spaces will be open, so the choice is yours if you want some fresh air and sunshine or sweet, sweet air conditioning.
WHAT DO MEMBERS GET?
We love our Long Center Members! Because of their support, we’re able to put on free events like Teresa Lozano Long Community Day.
Members are invited to a pre-bash Jazz Brunch and get early entry to the day’s activities.
And starting now until September 6 at 4pm, you can take advantage of our Community Day Membership Deal and get Long Center Friend- level Membership for only $95! You’ll get access to the Jazz Brunch, plus tons of other Member perks like presale access, invites to our Member Lounges, and exclusive events curated just for members.
To learn more about Membership, click the button below or swing by the Long Center table during Community Day.
FAQs
This event is totally, 100%, absolutely free! You can now “pay what you want” — if you’d like to pass a few bucks on to Community to support free local programming, that’d be rad! If you’d still like to attend for free, we’ll be happy to see you there.
RSVPs are appreciated so we know to expect you, but not required.
You bet it is! We’ve teamed up with our friends at Creative Action to curate a kids-only zone called KIDosky on the Mezzanine Level. It’ll be chock-full of games, crafts, and more. Just be sure to stick with your kiddo; KIDosky is not a drop off area.
We’ll also have the return of BubblePalooza outside all day, thanks to our sponsor H-E-B.
Properly identified service animals are welcome inside and out. Otherwise, please leave your pets at home for this one.
Nope, but food and beverage will be available to purchase onsite.
For water, you can bring in 1 sealed water bottle or an empty reusable one to fill up!
Parking is available at the Palmer Events Center Parking Garage, located at 900 Barton Springs Road. There are two entrances to the garage, one at Riverside Drive and South First Street near the Long Center’s Circular Drive, and one on Barton Springs Road adjacent to the Palmer Events Center main entrance.
Mobility Impaired/Accessible Parking is available in the Palmer Events Center Parking Garage on all levels near the elevators. Please see the Accessibility section of our website for more information, including drop-off location.
Complimentary Garage Parking is available to vehicles with any of the following specialty license plates: Air Force Cross, Distinguished Service Cross, Army Distinguished Service Cross, Navy Cross, Medal of Honor, and Legion of Merit Medal, Purple Heart, Pearl Harbor Survivors, and Prisoners of War (House Bill 618 and City Code Section 12-3-8).
Check out our Directions and Parking page for more details.
Better yet, bike, walk, carpool, or ride share!
You betcha! Stop by the Long Center table in the Orchestra Lobby to make a donation, pick up a piece of LC merch, or become a Member. You can also check out the Support Us section of our website to see all the ways to can help.
OTHER LC HAPPENINGS
We’ve got a full calendar here at the Long Center. There’s something for everyone – check out our upcoming shows and events (and don’t forget about our special Community Day ticket deals)!
Plus, check out our Long Center merch! Swing by the Membership table at Community Day or any other Long Center show to pick up a hat, sticker, or a t-shirt and help support community events.
We can’t wait to see you on September 6! The Long Center is always yours, but especially on Teresa Lozano Long Community Day 💜
