It is January, but the holiday season is not over yet. Dia de Los Reyes or Day of the Kings is celebrated on Jan. 6 in Latinx and Hispanic communities in the United States as well as in Latin American countries and Spain.
Hoosiers in Dubois County will celebrate the holiday with a new multicultural event at the Dubois County Museum on Thursday, Jan. 6, 6-8p.m. ET. The event is free and open to the public.
Vincennes University Jasper, the Dubois County Museum, and several other groups partnered together and received a grant from Indiana Humanities in cooperation with the National Endowment for the Humanities to host several Latinx celebrations over the year to grow community connections between Hispanic and Anglo communities.
As director of the Dia de Los Reyes event, VU Jasper Admissions Counselor and Community Engagement Specialist Dennis Tedrow encourages everyone to come out to the museum to enjoy the festivities and learn about the history and traditions of Dia de Los Reyes, which honors the Three Kings or Three Wise Men. The celebration is commonly known as Epiphany Day in the Catholic community.
“The purpose of the event is to educate people in the history of the three kings who brought their gifts to baby Jesus and the importance of the story in Hispanic culture,” Tedrow said. “Southern Indiana is seeing a rise in the Latinx and Hispanic population. Dia de Los Reyes is a great way for individuals and families to experience and learn about each other’s communities, cultures, and traditions.”
Attendees will learn about the traditions of Dia de Los Reyes plus enjoy traditional treats, art, and holiday cheer provided by local artists and performers.
Claudia Juarez will host a cooking class on baking concha bread, a traditional Mexican sweet roll, also known as pan dulce. The class size is limited to 100 people. To participate in the cooking class, email an RSVP to epiphany.dcm@gmail.com.
The Dubois County Museum is located at 2704 Newton Street in Jasper.
The Vincennes University Jasper Campus is a vital part of Indiana’s first college, Vincennes University. The Jasper Campus fulfills the vision of CoHERE, a Dubois County citizens group founded in 1958, that was dedicated to improving area education and cultural enrichment. Vincennes University joined as a strong partner, opening a Jasper location in 1970.
VU Jasper features a beautiful 140-acre campus on the southeast side of Jasper. Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, VUJ tuition and fees rank among the most affordable of all Indiana colleges. In addition to offering associate degree and certificate programs, VUJ students can complete a bachelor’s degree online or at the Vincennes Campus.
VU Jasper’s Center for Technology, Innovation, and Manufacturing is a hub for community engagement in local education. It is home to the Career Advancement Partnership (CAP) program, a major workforce development initiative between VUJ and local manufacturing companies. It also houses several programs for the Patoka Valley Career and Technical Education Cooperative, including a new Automation and Robotics Academy.
In addition to the CTIM, other campus facilities include the Alvin C. Ruxer Student Center, Arnold F. Habig Library Learning Center, Administrative Classroom Building, and a Jasper Campus Classroom Building that holds a state-of-the-art simulation laboratory for healthcare training. Adjacent to the campus is the Jasper Arts Center, which includes a 675-seat theater and visual arts galleries.
The VU Jasper Campus serves thousands of students in Dubois, Spencer, Martin, Perry, Crawford, Harrison, Pike, Orange, Daviess, Lawrence, and surrounding counties in Indiana
