BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Even though Hispanic Heritage Month officially ended the day before, the celebration was far from over at Northeast Middle School.
Inside the school’s brightly lit cafeteria on Thursday night, the smell of arroz con gandules, pernil, pastelillos and churros filled the air as families and school faculty packed the space for the Bethlehem Area School District’s annual Hispanic Heritage celebration.
Leading the festivities was Northeast Middle School music director Denise Parker, whose after-school vocal groups opened the night with a sing-along.
Students surrounded the crowd, inviting them to join in on familiar Latin songs — tunes from the reina y rey of salsa music, Celia Cruz's "Guantanamera," and Marc Anthony's "Vivir mi Vida."
“So many wonderful people coming together for such a wonderful time,” Parker said from the packed auditorium.
“We wanted to do something a little different this year. We thought — why not have everyone sing with us?”
As Parker's students performed, the celebration continued with more dancing when Northeast alum Danny Class took the stage with his band, Herencia Jiraba.
“We were built by Bethlehem. We went to Northeast. We graduated from Liberty High School — and it’s always an honor to come back to our family here."
Danny Class of Herencia Jibara
“Along with my brother, right here to my left, we are Northeast proud,” Class told the crowd.
“We were built by Bethlehem. We went to Northeast. We graduated from Liberty High School — and it’s always an honor to come back to our family here."
The group performed a lively mix of Caribbean and Latin American music, encouraging families to dance, clap and sing along.
For Parker, who shared that her mother was born and raised in Lares, Puerto Rico, the night was also about honoring heritage through joy and connection.
Between performances, she led students in a nostalgic jump rope activity, reviving a childhood game many in the audience remembered from their own neighborhoods.
"One of my favorite things I remember as a child is jumping rope. How many of us remember the song, 'Brinca la Tablita?'" Parker asked.
"I used to jump in the streets of Brooklyn singing that song."
The event was organized by the BASD Office of Equity Initiatives and featured arts and crafts coordinated by 16 Spanish teachers from the district’s elementary schools.
Tables were lined with colorful paper serapes, flowers, flags, lucha libre masks and artwork celebrating the many countries represented across Bethlehem’s student body.
Community partners — including the Hispanic Center Lehigh Valley, ArtsQuest, Millersville University's PA Migrant Education Program, LANTA, Lehigh Valley Public Media, Fit for Life and the Crime Victims Council — also participated, offering resources and activities for families.
(Lehigh Valley Public Media comprises PBS39, LehighValleyNews.com and 91.3 WLVR radio.)
“This is what community looks like,” Parker said, watching her students jump rope and sing.
“We celebrate where we come from — and the joy of coming together.”
Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, honors the histories, cultures and contributions of Americans whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America.