Raices Vivas: Ofrenda del Equinoccio

Crystal Pena leads Raices Vivas: Ofrenda del Equinoccio at the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center on Wednesday, September 30, from 6 PM to 7:30 PM. It's a participatory workshop, so you're not just sitting and listening—you're part of it.

Pena comes from The Center for Arts and Healing, and the session draws on Mexican Curanderismo and Indigenous understandings of reciprocity with the Earth. The idea is to bridge physical gardening with seasonal reflection, using story, ceremony, sound, and shared reflection to connect the two. It's less of a lecture and more of a practice, and since it's participatory, you'll be doing rather than just observing.

The workshop is part of the ESB-MACC Healing Garden, a series of monthly community-rooted workshops that combine nature-based healing with indigenous gardening education. The center itself is dedicated to the preservation, creation, presentation, and promotion of the cultural arts of Mexican Americans and Latino cultures, and this session fits right into that mission.

One practical thing to keep in mind: this is an outdoor program. You'll want to dress for the weather and bring a reusable water bottle. The workshop runs from 6 PM to 7:30 PM on Wednesday, September 30, at the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center, 600 River St., Austin, TX 78701.