Hundreds gathered at the Cinco de Mayo event at Columbia State Historic Park to honor and acknowledge the significance of Mexican heritage in the United States through music, dance, and education.

Spotlighting The Acorn MusEcology Project’s In Common Silence, a blending of music with nature, guests were enchanted with melodies celebrating butterflies, wildflowers, and a deepening appreciation for nature’s beauty and the importance of conservation.

A youth orchestra enthralled audience members with multi-cultural songs played on traditional Chinese instruments to honor the diverse cultures of workers who built and worked California’s railroads.

Poetry brought history to life and celebrated California’s diversity at the third annual Empire Mine State Historic Park Poetry in Parks event, with readings from students, local poets, and California’s Poet Laureate Lee Herrick.

Sacramento area art faculty and State Parks staff explored connections between public art and public history, and brainstormed ways to engage artists, students and communities in future collaborations.