> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.themontgomerybrief.org/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# From Wheaton to Gaithersburg, Montgomery County prepares for Hispanic Heritage Month 2026
- URL: https://www.themontgomerybrief.org/from-wheaton-to-gaithersburg-montgomery-county-prepares-for-hispanic-heritage-month-2026/
- Published: 2026-09-03T17:00:48.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-03T17:00:48.000Z
- Description: From Wheaton to Gaithersburg, Montgomery County prepares for Hispanic Heritage Month 2026
- Author: Aline Barros
- Tags: Events, Community

### The national observance, which runs annually from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, honors the history, culture, and contributions of Hispanic and Latino residents.

Local governments and civic organizations across Montgomery County are rolling out a schedule of events to celebrate this year’s Hispanic Heritage Month, offering residents everything from bilingual poetry readings and urban planning pop-ups to youth art workshops.

The national observance, which runs annually from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, honors the history, culture, and contributions of Hispanic and Latino residents. In Montgomery County, where diverse immigrant communities shape the region's cultural and economic landscape, local agencies use the month both to celebrate heritage and to actively engage residents. 

In Gaithersburg alone, Hispanic and Latino residents account for approximately 28.5% of the population, according to the U.S. Census figures.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/62/c5/62c50597-cadb-497e-99a3-4ec7f511bad6/content/images/2026/09/PHOTO-2026-09-03-11-06-21-2.jpg)

Photo credit: The Montgomery County government Flickr account

**Literary resistance and community planning in Wheaton**

On Sept. 5, the Wheaton Library hosts Poetry and Resistance: Reading Cuban Poet Dulce María Loynaz. Led by human rights attorney and poet Carlota Roby, co-founder of the Vocales Verticales initiative, the bilingual session explores the life and work of the 1992 Cervantes Prize winner. Running from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., the event invites attendees to analyze Loynaz’s introspective poetry before writing their own pieces in English, Spanish, or Spanglish.

Later in the month, the focus shifts to community development at the Hispanic Heritage Month Unity Festival on Saturday, Sept. 19\. Held from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the M-NCPPC Wheaton Headquarters (2425 Reedie Dr.), the event doubles as a cultural gathering and a civic listening session. The Montgomery Planning Wheaton Plan team will set up a pop-up booth, encouraging attendees to share their vision for the future of the neighborhood and offer input on how to better reflect Hispanic heritage in county planning initiatives.

**Municipal celebrations and youth arts**

In upcounty, the City of Gaithersburg kicks off its month-long lineup on Tuesday, Sept. 8, when the local officials issue an official Hispanic Heritage Month Proclamation during their 7:30 p.m. session. 

Organized alongside the city's Multicultural Affairs Committee, the proclamation anchors a wide series of fall activities, including an Altar de Muertos lecture on Sept. 15, a Milagro heart painting workshop on Sept. 21, and a central Hispanic Heritage Festival on Friday, Sept. 25, from 11:15 a.m. to 1:45 p.m.

In Rockville, younger residents will get a hands-on introduction to Latin American art traditions. On Saturday, Oct. 3, the Twinbrook Library presents Art Studio for Kids: Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month from 11 a.m. to noon. Sponsored by the Friends of the Library, Montgomery County, art professor Michael Hilliard will guide elementary students (grades K–6) and their caregivers through a cultural lesson and craft session. Participating children will also have the option to display their finished creations inside the library branch.

Most community events throughout the county are free and open to the public.