NATIONAL HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH September 15-October 15 Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated nationwide and begins on September 15, 2011, the anniversary of independence for five Latin American countries – Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Mexico achieved independence on September 16th and Chile on September 18th. Hispanic Heritage Month has been celebrated in the United States since 1974, when President Gerald Ford issued a Presidential Proclamation extending Hispanic Heritage Week into a month-long observation. To learn more about Hispanic Heritage Month, visit hispanicheritagemonth.gov.   Official Hispanic Heritage Month Kick-Off Reception Thursday, September 15, 2011 - 5:15-7pm Bishop Joseph Johnson Black Cultural Center at Vanderbilt University nashvillehispanicchamber.com   Hispanic Heritage Festival Thursday, September 15, 2011 - 6pm Hickory Hollow Mall http://forum.belmont.edu/news/?p=1913   2011 Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration Friday, September 16, 2011 - 6pm Cannery Ballroom conexionamericas.org   Latino Family Festival Sunday, September 18 - 9am-4pm Nashville Zoo at Grassmere nashvillezoo.org   Gypsy Fire Flamenco Dance Thursday, September 22, 2011 - 7:30om Vanderbilt University Langford Auditorium vanderbilt.edu/greatperformances   Brown Bag Lunch with Tony Brown: "The Social Construction of Race in Brazil: Findings from the 2002 Belo Horizonte Area Study" Friday, September 30, 2011 - 12pm Vanderbilt University; Buttrick 123 RSVP to alma.paz-sanmigel@vanderbilt.edu   Celebrate Nashville Cultural Festival Saturday, October 1, 2011 - 10am-6pm Centennial Park celebratenashville.org   Jose Torres-Tama Performance Art Wednesday, October 5, 2011 - 7:30pm Vanderbilt Student Life Center vanderbilt.edu/greatperformances   Nuevo Vida, Nuevo Trabajo Through Friday, October 7, 2011 Metro Arts Gallery artsnashville.org   Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons: Journeys October 7, 2011-January 8, 2012 Frist Center for the Visual Arts fristcenter.org   Tennessee Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Networking Lunch Tuesday, October 11, 2011 - 11am-1pm Sheraton Downtown Nashville tnhcc.org   AGLA Round About Wednesday, October 12, 2011 tnhcc.org   7th Annual Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration & Awards Ceremony Thursday, October 13, 2011 - 5:30-7:30pm Nashville City Club nashvillehispanicchamber.com   Alfredo Rodriguez Friday, October 14, 2011 - 8pm Vanderbilt University Langford Auditorium vanderbilt.edu/greatperformances   Cheekwood's El Dia de los Muertos Festival Saturday, October 29 - 11am-5pm Cheekwood Botanical Garden & Museum of Art cheekwood.org   See more Hispanic Heritage Month events at nashvillehispanicchamber.com.   Search all events in September and October.   Spend a day, a week or the entire month. Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month in Music City. Book your trip here.