by Andrew Alonzo | aalonzo@claremont-courier.com

Claremont Heritage and Los Angeles-based nonprofit Nosotros are putting the Hispanic community front and center days after the start of Hispanic Heritage Month with Una Noche de Nuestra Cultura (“A Night of Our Culture”) Wednesday, September 18 at Padua Hills Theatre.

The event is meant to enlighten folks about the city’s rich Hispanic roots, according to Claremont Heritage Executive Director David Shearer.

“From our standpoint, it’s a matter of education,” Shearer said. “We’re trying to educate people about the history because otherwise, this kind of stuff will be lost. And it’s so important just in the formation of Claremont as really an art and cultural center, which it has become.”

Advance tickets are $45, $60 at the door, for the 5 to 9:30 p.m. 18+ event at Padua Hills Theatre, 4467 Padua Ave. Visit claremontheritage.bigcartel.com for tickets. Call (909) 621-0848 or email info@claremontheritage.org for more information.

Nosotros and Claremont Heritage’s September 18 fundraiser, Una Noche de Nuestra Cultura (“A Night of Our Culture”), features live performances, exhibits from local artists, documentary and short film screenings, food and drink, and more. Courier photo/Andrew Alonzo

The evening will feature live performances and exhibits from local artists Alba Cisneros, Sandy Garcia, Steven Rushingwind Ruiz, and brothers Richard and Marciano Martinez. Documentary films highlighting the history of Claremont’s barrios, the Padua Hills Theatre Mexican Players, and short films curated by Newfilmmakers Los Angeleswill be shown. Central and South American cuisine, a cigar lounge, a tequila tasting by Mando de Origen, and a number of Hispanic food vendors and organizations will add to the atmosphere.

The event is the brainchild of Shearer and filmmaker and Nosotros president Joel Gonzales. Shearer knew he wanted to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with an event at Padua Hills Theatre, and Gonzales helped shape the details.

“Basically, it is a celebration of the Hispanic American community here in Claremont,” Gonzales said.

Shearer said the impact of the Hispanic community on Claremont has been “enormous,” referencing the barrio neighborhood, the Padua Hills Theatre’s Mexican Players, and the many Latino artists who left their mark on the City of Trees.

The community’s wider regional impacts will also be represented.

“Yes, a lot of things, great things, happened in Claremont, but, you know, there were a lot of things happening all over that we want to recognize, especially with the films,” Shearer said. “It’s not just all about Claremont, it’s about the Pomona Valley.”

Shearer and Gonzales agree the event is meant to educate in different ways.

Shearer said he hopes it delivers a sort of “a window into the past … that helps to inform the future.”

Gonzales said he is striving to ensure the Latino community feels “acknowledged, heard, and seen,” but also wants non-Hispanic attendees to leave with a better understanding of the cultural and historical contributions of Hispanics. “I think ultimately, it is about creating an event that encourages an acknowledgement or an awareness of the Latino communities and their contributions.”

Gonzales predicts the event will spark similar celebrations in the coming years and has hopes that it may inspire a Claremont Latino film festival.

“This can be a nice kind of segue into something like that,” Shearer said.

Proceeds from the event will benefit Claremont Heritage’s ongoing mission to preserve Claremont’s history.

The 18+ Una Noche de Nuestra Cultura (“A Night of Our Culture”) takes place from 5 to 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, September 18 at Padua Hills Theatre, 4467 Padua Ave., Claremont. Tickets are $45 at claremontheritage.bigcartel.comor $60 at the door. Call (909) 621-0848 or email info@claremontheritage.org for more information or for sponsorship opportunities.