Hispanic Heritage Month on Long Island: Food, festivals, flamenco and more

This year, Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs through Oct. 15, presents arts, events and performances for every taste, age and interest. It's as wide and welcoming as the spirit of the cultures that make up Latin and Hispanic heritage. From international artists and award-winning playwrights to local musicians, performers and authors, it's a great time to celebrate Latin flavors and connect to something bigger.

Lighting up the Parrish

Artist Rafael Lozano-Hemmer has represented Mexico in prestigious international exhibitions, and his work has been seen all over the world. But for "Collider," at the Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill, he looked to the sky. Rippling curtains of light bathe the building's façade and can be seen from Montauk Highway between dusk and 11 p.m. through Jan. 1. What most people don't know is that the installation is based on particle physics, Geiger counters and invisible cosmic radiation from outer space.

Lozano-Hemmer often pairs his training in both science and art. For "Collider," he installed a custom-made muon detector which determines the patterns of light displayed from particles that continually break through the atmosphere. "It's not predictable, and it never repeats," noted chief curator Corinne Erni, who invited Lozano-Hemmer and coordinated the exhibition. While the origin is Earth-shattering, the intent and effect is something different. "People are in awe," she said. "It makes us really connect to the cosmos and to each other. ... It's warm. It moves you, it makes you emotional, and it connects us to nature and to something bigger than us."

A Long Island drama

Oscar-nominated playwright José Rivera ("The Motorcycle Diaries") was born in Puerto Rico but grew up on Long Island, where his autobiographical play, "The Hours Are Feminine" is set (specifically, Lake Ronkonkoma). EastLine Theatre's production will be the first done on Long Island. "We picked it," said artistic director Nicole Savin, "because we thought it would really speak to Long islanders. It’s about a young Puerto Rican immigrant family, a mother, father and a little boy."

In one of the lines it's explained that the word for time is masculine in Spanish, but the word for hours is feminine, and it's in those hours, Savin noted, that two women explore themes of assimilation, hostility and ultimately friendship and hope.

Paella, pollo and pizzazz

Learning about a cuisine is a great way to get to know a culture said Lynbrook chef Polly Talbott. After more than 20 years with a brick and mortar school, Talbott now gives private lessons in her home.

By her estimate, she's welcomed thousands of Long Islanders to her kitchens, and paella is one of her specialties. "Or, I can do arroz con pollo with salsa verde. We could make homemade tortillas and homemade guacamole, or chicken empanadas, or enchiladas with a tomatillo sauce. All my classes are customizable so it’s perfect to do something like this for Hispanic Heritage Month," she said, adding, "We could always throw in a margarita."

Artists and authors

The second annual Latinx Arts Festival and Book Fair, organized by Westbury author and educator Adriana Devers, runs Oct. 9-11 at Westbury Memorial Public Library. Last year close to 1,000 people attended. Devers hopes to bring adults, artists, authors and students together to share stories, create art and see inspiring performances, all supported by a group of arts and education organizations. "From the beginning," she said, "my vision was to have it be a partnership to celebrate each others' accomplishments and uplift our community."

Museums, music and more

At local museums, the golden age of Latin jazz and the sounds of Tito Puente come alive through Sonido Clasico Orchestra at the Suffolk County Historical Society museum's free concert on Sept. 27. Young artists can head to the Heckscher Museum of Art on Oct. 5 to create sculptures based on Mexican cartonería, fanciful papier-mâché creations, and the Islip Arts Council's Hispanic Heritage Day Celebration on Oct. 18 offers a free reception and art exhibition along with musical and dance performances.

A Patchogue celebration

If you're looking for a bit of everything, the Greater Patchogue Chamber’s Latino Leadership Connect brings Latin flavors, colors and sounds to its seventh annual Hispanic Heritage Celebration at the Patchogue Theatre on Sept. 20. With bites from nearby eateries, performances by local musicians and dancers, including Long Island's Flamenco troupe, Sol y Sombra, it's a day for the Latino community and others to come together and welcome neighbors in a fun, family-friendly day of celebration.

An earlier version of this article had an incorrect spelling of Nicole Savin's last name.