STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK
Celebrate Dia de los Ninos, or Day of the Child, Saturday at the Hailey Public Library.
The free, bilingual event will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, April 27.
It will include songs, stories, crafts and demonstrations of traditional Hispanic arts, including dancing and food preparation.
The library staff worked with Herbert and Mary Romero, as well as Edith Lopez-Willard, to invite elders from the Wood River Valley’s Hispanic community to share their cultural traditions,. Peruvian and Mexican elders will demonstrate traditional dances and then teach children a simpler version.
Other elders will demonstrate how to make pupusas, a traditional Salvadoran dish featuring a thick cornmeal flatbread stuffed with such ingredients as cheese, squash, beans or chicharron pork rinds. These will be shared with participants. Participants are invited to bring a plate of finger foods representing their cultural tradition to share, as well.
Dia de los Ninos has been celebrated since 1925 as a way to increase understanding of other cultures. It’s the Latino community’s gift to all children as a way to honor and celebrate those who represent the hopes and dreams of every community. This event is supported in part by a grant from the Idaho Commission for Libraries.
“At 100 years old, the Hailey Public library serves a culturally rich community,” said Library Director LeAnn Gelskey. “Currently, we offer more than 400 Spanish language or bilingual books for adults and nearly 700 for children. We hope Dia de los Ninos becomes an annual celebration, attracting families who are not typically library users into our resource-rich and welcoming space.”