The Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden will present the fourth annual Hispanic Heritage Celebration with live musical performances, cooking demonstrations, food, and dozens of vendors.

To kick off the festival, the garden will host a celebration of Quinceañera fashion and culture, where selected participants showcase their beautiful and colorful quinceañera dresses and share their favorite traditions and future plans. Afterwards, led by a mariachi band, the young ladies parade through the garden allowing even more guests to see their dresses. Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson is scheduled to welcome participants, their families and garden visitors.

In many Spanish-speaking countries and Hispanic communities around the world, girls celebrate turning 15 years old with both a religious and social event called a quinceañera. In Texas, more than 50,000 quinceañeras are celebrated. The ritual symbolizes a girl’s transformation from childhood into womanhood for the years to come. The party is the second part of the quinceañera with dancing, food and music, ending with a father replacing his daughter’s flat-soled shoe with high heels. Individual rituals can vary between cultures, but the heart of the “Sweet 15” remains as a coming-of-age ceremony.

Throughout the garden, the Dallas Arboretum has planned activities celebrating Hispanic culture and traditions including vendors, music and demonstrations.