September 12, 2022
By Roxanne Ocasio
The rich diversity of Latin Americans in Cleveland has led to some incredible artistic endeavors, charitable organizations, and of course, restaurants that call Cleveland home. Explore Latin culture by visiting some of these establishments.
Arts & Culture
Julia de Burgos Cultural Arts Center offers a plethora of year-round classes including guitar, flamenco, ballet, Latin social dance, and other one-off workshops. A majority of these classes are available to adults as well as to children. The center also has a space available for event rental.
Cleveland is home to Spanish-language theater: LatinUS Theater Company will run several plays through winter 2023. La Siempreviva, set during a time of political unrest in Colombia, runs through October 9, 2022. Other upcoming shows include Christmas a lo Latino in December, the thriller-comedy Gloria de Eduardo de Mendoza from February 24, 2023 through March 12, 2023, and an adaptation of Shakespeare in Trópico Macbeth coming in the fall of 2023.
Annually in summer, Cleveland hosts both a Puerto Rican Parade and La Placita, an open-air summer market with live music. In the past, La Placita took place monthly throughout the summer; in 2022, both events occurred in August.
A number of dance schools in the area are partially Latino-owned. Check out Viva Dance Studio (Asia Town), LeSalsa (Lakewood and Beachwood), and The Cleveland Tango School (various locations) for classes that will get you moving!
Community Involvement
The Young Latino Network aims to empower young professionals in the community through leadership, development, and civic engagement. They host several events throughout the year including workshops for entrepreneurs, but their summer fundraiser Noche de Guayabera is not to be missed!
Similarly, the Spanish-American Committee offers job training, financial counseling, English classes, and a variety of other services to serve new English learners, including the state’s only Spanish-language GED program.
For programs focused on youth, Esperanza, Inc. offers mentoring for teens hoping to attend college and an annual STEAM summer camp.
Delicious Delights
If the question is “What’s for dinner?”, there’s no shortage of answers in Cleveland! You can find a wide array of authentic choices around town from a number of Latino cultures:
Of course, if you’d like to pick up hot food while grocery shopping, stop at La Plaza Supermarket. The store has both fresh Caribbean produce like plantains and tacos to-go.