Detroit City Wire

The Detroit Lions have announced that they will transform Pride Plaza into Plaza de los Leones for Latino Heritage Month during their Week 2 regular season game at Ford Field against the Chicago Bears. The event is scheduled to take place from 10 AM to 1 PM, ahead of the game's kickoff at 1 PM.

Lex Zavala, Interim Executive Director of the Detroit Hispanic Development Corporation (DHDC), will serve as emcee and spokesperson for Latino heritage programming at the event. According to the team, Plaza de los Leones aims to "honor and celebrate the Latino community within Detroit through traditional dance performances, live music, artistry, interactive activities for fans, and informative discussions on the Latino culture."

The program includes several cultural activities. Ballet Folklorico de Detroit will perform multiple times in the plaza, starting with a full team performance on Adams Street at 10:30 AM followed by two smaller group performances on stage at 10:35 AM and 11:25 AM. Dance instructor Mino Bachatero will lead Salsa and Bachata lessons for fans on stage at 10:00 AM and 11:05 AM respectively.

Mariachi Mexico 2020 is scheduled to provide musical entertainment throughout the plaza before performing on stage at 11:45 AM. Artist Elton Monroy Duran from Southwest Detroit will create a live painting inspired by his Lion sculpture made from auto parts—a piece designed to represent both Detroit’s automotive history and its Latino community. This artwork will be auctioned off via the Detroit Lions Foundation's auction site with proceeds benefiting Mexicantown Community Development Corporation. Attendees can also view Duran’s Lion sculpture and collect commemorative postcards and coloring sheets provided by Corpus Art Inc.

Ford Motor Company will showcase its new F-150 Lobo truck during the event. The vehicle is described as "a V8-powered street truck inspired by customer personalization trends to create a lowered, stylish and high-performance truck." Fans can interact with this display as part of the celebration.

Additionally, face painting by Gracie the Clown will be available for attendees.

Starting in 2024, the Detroit Lions have increased efforts to highlight contributions from Latinos across Michigan through events like Plaza de los Leones featuring music, food, movement, and recognition of local community members during game breaks.