Montclair State students showed up to the Student Center Quad to celebrate the anticipated 6th Annual Hispanic Heritage Month Block Party. The event was near the end of Hispanic Heritage Month on October 14th, 2026.
The celebration began at 1:00 p.m and ran all the way through 3:30 p.m despite fears of rain. The event first started with speeches from organizers joined by Sarah Alexandra Rivera, president of the Puerto Rican Student Association.
MONTCLAIR, NJ. 10-14-2026. HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH BLOCK PARTY - SPEAKER: On October 14th 2026, a group of speakers came up to the podium to give a speech about Hispanic Heritage Month in the quad of Montclair State University. They took part in making the block party possible and one of the speakers seen in the photo is named Sarah Alexandra Rivera, President of the Puerto Rican Student Association. Photograph taken by Estefano Quispe.
“Hispanic Heritage Month is important because it is a month dedicated to not just the celebration of Hispanics and Latinos, but also a time to share our struggle,” Rivera said. “To make our voices known, to make sure that everyone knows our history, and to make sure we are not forgotten or erased.”
Rivera goes on to say that this year’s theme is “Unidos Somos Mas,” translating to “Together We Are More”.
The Latin American Student Association was in attendance alongside the Peruvian American Student Association, the Mexican American Student Association, the Ecuadorian American Student Association, the Puerto Rican Student Association, and others.
MONTCLAIR, NJ. 10-14-2026. HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH BLOCK PARTY - ACTIVITIES: On October 14th 2026, the Hispanic Heritage Month Block Party had different clubs and organizations show up with different activites to do to get involved. Some gave out stickers with country flags and others did 'spin the wheel' to win a prize or answer trivia questions. Photograph taken by Estefano Quispe.
In the midst of the festivities, various clubs, organizations, and vendors were found engaging with Montclair State students.
Tables hosted by organization members offered fun activities that attendees could participate in. Many gave away stickers with Latin American Flags on them. A few of had ‘spin the wheel’ with different prizes or challenge games. These included trivia of any subject of the organization’s choice.
MONTCLAIR, NJ. 10-14-2026. HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH BLOCK PARTY - ICE CREAM: On October 14th 2026, An Ice Cream truck was at the center of the quad serving ice creams to students at Montclair State University. The company is called Puras Paletes and it is latina owned by a woman named Pamela Alfaro who can be seen handing out her treats to all who came by. Photograph taken by Estefano Quispe.
The most noticeable vendor on campus was the Latina-owned ice cream truck at the center of the Student Center Quad giving away ice cream to customers. For most of the day, the truck was met with a long line of students.
If students stood the ice cream truck for long enough, then they may have been lucky enough to stumble upon a group of students with friendly snakes. As part of the event, students who were brave enough could decide to either hold a small snake in their hands or a big one around their necks.
MONTCLAIR, NJ. 10-14-2026. HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH BLOCK PARTY - SMALL SNAKE: On October 14th 2026, the block party had a set of snakes that people passed around to hold and to wear. This specific snake that two students are holding is the small one which is slithering between their fingers behind the ice cream truck on the quad in Montclair State University. Photograph taken by Estefano Quispe. Photo credit: Estefano Quispe
Participants were seen taking turns holding the snakes each for a few seconds at a time.
Abigail Diaz, President of the Latin American Student Organization, was holding a huge snake ,impressing the onlookers around her.
MONTCLAIR, NJ. 10-14-2026. HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH BLOCK PARTY - BIG SNAKE: On October 14th 2026, the LASO President, Abigail Diaz, was handed the big snake to hold around her neck. The snake was only being passed around in the quad of Montclair State University and here she is seen looking at the snake wrapped around her. Photograph taken by Estefano Quispe.
“It’s very important to keep our struggles, history, and tradition in mind as we move forward,” Diaz said. “Since that’s what the foundation the United States is especially built on.”
Abigail goes on to point out LASO’s contribution to making the block party as welcoming as possible.
“We’ve been very involved,” Diaz claims. “Some of us have been walking around talking to people, others have been taking care of the tables, we’ve been connecting with other students who are not just interested in LASO but in other student organizations as well.”
As the day went on, people were playing games, eating snacks, and dancing together with Latin American songs playing in the background.
MONTCLAIR, NJ. 10-14-2026. HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH BLOCK PARTY - LATINISMO DANCERS: On October 14th 2026, the MSU Dance Troup girls performed various dances ontop of the stairs of the quad in Montclair State University. An audience formed to watch the dancers dance with each other as music played in the background. Photograph taken by Estefano Quispe. Photo credit: Estefano Quispe
The massive turnout of the event prompted the MSU LASO Dance Troupe to come out in full force.
The dance company performed different styles of dances, exciting the growing crowd of spectators in the quad. People took their phones out to record and photograph the dancers with cheers that followed each performance.
Many people were sharing their thoughts to WMSC Radio.
MONTCLAIR, NJ. 10-14-2026. HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH BLOCK PARTY - WMSC: On October 14th 2026, WMSC the radio station for the College of Communications and Media had their broadcast on the quad in Montclair State University. They invited anyone to come on the radio to talk about the block party and their thoughts to their listeners. Photograph taken by Estefano Quispe.
Club members of WMSC were inviting people to voice their thoughts of the 6th Hispanic Heritage Month Block Party to the station’s listeners live on air.
As the block party came to a close, students seemed to have a positive feeling of the event’s success.
Calleigh Jackson, a first-year business administration major,said that she enjoyed what the event had to offer as a Puerto Rican student.
“I talked to a lot of people, I had a lot of fun,” Jackson said. “I liked the energy the dancers brought, and I feel like everyone else really enjoyed it as well.”
MONTCLAIR, NJ. 10-14-2026. HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH BLOCK PARTY - CALLEIGH JACKSON: On October 14th 2026, Calleigh Jackson a Puerto Rican student majoring in Business Administration participated in the Hispanic Heritage Month Block Party in Montclair State University. Photograph taken by Estefano Quispe.
“It’s important to celebrate our culture,” she says. “Hispanic Heritage Month is just bringing recognition and culture for Hispanics and recognizing their sacrifices and opportunities that they’ve made.”
As the clubs and vendors packed up and students left, this year’s block party will be remembered as an event that brought a lot of excitement to students celebrating their Hispanic heritage.
