Story, Photos & Video by Don Backman
The colorful dresses swirled in an eye dazzling series for spirals as the dancers twirled across the floor. The group, traveling over from Salem, Oregon, demonstrated authentic traditional Hispanic and Latinx dances at the Hispanic/LatinX Heritage Month event at the Tillamook County Fairgrounds on October 5th.
Free to anyone to attend, including a free meal and drink, the first ever event was brought to Tillamook by Consejo Hispano. Diana Nino, Outreach and special projects manager, explained that this was the first event in Tillamook. “We have had Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations in Seaside for three years.”
Consejo Hispano is a 17 year-old non-profit organization based out of Astoria that serves four counties, Tillamook, Clatsop, and Columbia Counties in Oregon, and Pacific County in Washington. The region has a growing population of over 15,000 Hispanic first, second, and third generation residents. Consejo Hispano’s mission is “Fostering resilient, prosperous, and powerful Latinx communities in which people and families flourish.”
A series of dancers crisscrossed the floor. It began with youth dancing, and progressed to elegant costumes and colorful dresses, to adult dances featuring high energy swirling dancers in traditional outfits.
The event featured free Mexican cuisine and soft drinks. Community partners had tables in one room and the other was the dance floor. In the back there was an art center where children and adults created traditional folk crafts — Pintura Arcilla / Clay Painting and Linogrababo/Lino Printing. Participants walked around displaying their artwork.
Consejo Hispano assists with putting on events, helping people access services, education, health, tax preparation, and OHP health coverage. Last summer, the summer of 2024, the group put on a six week cultural enrichment summer program for kids. This program is actually used in the Seaside and Astoria School Districts. Another key item the group does is to encourage residents to prepare for coastal emergencies.
Consejo Hispano has three staff in Tillamook. They are opening an office in the old Kephart building at 110 Stillwell Avenue, where Food Roots will be located. Consejo Hispano has a dual language website at https://consejohispano.org/
