bergenPAC to Host Hispanic Heritage Festival and Victor Manuelle, 10/11

Bergen Performing Arts Center located at 30 North Van Brunt Street in Englewood New Jersey for first time will present Hispanic Heritage Festival in honor of National Hispanic Month which is celebrated from September 15 to October 15 in the United States, when people recognize the contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans to the United States and celebrate the group's heritage and culture.

The celebration will take place outdoors in front of bergenPAC where the general public is welcomed to attend the day-long event 12Noon - 5PM on Saturday, October 11th and will include entertainment, food trucks, vendors and a beer garden. The Hispanic festival is opened to the general public and is free. bergenPAC will then present Salsa Superstar and Grammy nominated Victor Manuelle who will perform all of his hit songs Saturday, October 11th at 8PM.

Víctor Manuelle is one of the best-selling salsa performers of recent years, with his albums achieving multi-platinum success worldwide. Three studio albums, 1999's Inconfundible ("Unmistakable"), 2001's Instinto Y Deseo ("Instinct and Desire") and 2004'sTravesía ("Crossover"), have cracked Billboard's overall Top 200 Albums chart, and the latter two reached #1 on the Latin Album chart (Inconfundible reached #2). Interestingly, while several of his singles have made the Top 5 or Top 10 on the Latin charts, he had to wait for 2004's Tengo Ganas ("I'm in the Mood") to score a Billboard #1 Latin hit.

Don't miss Victor Maunelle in this rare performance takes on Saturday, October 11th at 8PM- tickets go on sale Friday, May 16th at 11AM. Be sure to reserve your tickets at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling bergenPAC's Box Office at 201.227.1030.

Each year, Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15, by celebrating the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America. The observation started in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson and was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to cover a 30-day period starting on September 15 and ending on October 15. It was enacted into law on August 17, 1988, on the approval of Public Law 100-402.

The day of September 15 is significant because it is the anniversary of independence for Latin American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16 and September18, respectively. Also, Columbus Day or Día de la Raza, which is October 12, falls within this 30 day period.