Take a cafecito break and try the Mexican Mocha from La Perlita, drop by Taquería Los Puñales for Jalisco style barbacoa, or spend an entire afternoon at the Portland Mercado. Sometimes the best way to celebrate a culture is to taste it, after all. But there are also plenty of other ways to immerse yourself and honor Latinx culture and community for Hispanic Heritage Month, which lasts through October 15. We’ve put together  a list of upcoming events—merengue to melodramedy—to start the party.

THEATER

The Hombres

Through Oct 9, Ellyn Bye Studio at Portland Center Stage, $20-60
Artists Rep explores male friendships and machismo in its opening production by playwright Tony Meneses. The comedy follows the lives of three Latino construction workers from New Jersey as they find themselves drawn to a nearby yoga studio and its gay instructor.

¡Viva la Muerte!

Oct 14-Nov 6, Milagro Theatre, $20-27
Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) may not be until November, but you can celebrate early with Milagro’s 26th annual Día de los Muertos production: an original, bilingual melodramedy that invites audience members to bridge what divides us.

FILM

Missing Link (in Spanish)

2 p.m., Sept 24, Whitsell Auditorium at Portland Art Museum, Free
The PAM Center for an Untold Tomorrow and Laika have teamed up to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with a free screening of the stop-motion film “Missing Link.” The film will be presented in Latin American Spanish with English subtitles. Advanced registration is required.

Portland Latin American Film Festival

Sept 28-Dec 7, Hollywood Theatre, $10-12
PDXLAFF is back for its sixteenth season at the Hollywood Theatre with a selection of seven films from around Latin America, Europe, and the U.S. Catch the festival’s first screening of the Mexican film “Poderoso Victoria” (Mighty Victoria) followed by a Q&A session with director Raúl Ramón and actor Roberto Sosa and a party at Hey Love.

VISUAL ART

Nene Sin Patria (Our Mother’s Hands Became Our Homes)

Noon-5 p.m., Wed-Sat through Oct 1, Blue Sky Gallery, Free
Photo-based performance artist Amarise Carreras explores the Santeria religion and their personal connection to the Boricua women who raised them through a series of still life images of altars, idols, and objects on display at Blue Sky.

SPECIAL EVENTS

JUNTOSPDX

Various times through Oct 15, OTCA Gallery 140 NW Ave, Free

Spend a weekend at the monthlong JuntosPDX festival, which celebrates and highlights the diversity of Latinx culture. The festival comprises five themed events, including an entire Saturday dedicated to live music and dancing, and an artisanal flea market with over 40 creators and food vendors on October 8.