Annual El Centro block party is Saturday

It will be a busy week in Lorain, as El Centro will host two of its most beloved community events on Wednesday and Saturday before the start of Hispanic Heritage Month next week. On Wednesday, the Latino advocacy nonprofit will hold its fourth annual Community Cleaning and Beautification Day and on Saturday it will hold its annual block party. Started in 2023, the community cleaning initiative seeks to beautify a different part of Lorian every year, and this year the effort will focus on 28th Street from El Centro to Mexican Mutual and Opportunity Center. "The goal (of the beautification day) was to provide an opportunity for organizations that wanted to support El Centro and Hispanic Heritage Month with the opportunity to send staff to be part of the volunteer day and learn about the Lorain Latino Community," El Centro Executive Director Victor Leandry said in a news release. "Also, to prepare the ground and community for the block party scheduled for that weekend." The cleanup will also include the Republic Steel parking lot at Pearl Avenue and 28th Street, and down Pearl Avenue from 28th Street to 31st Street. Volunteers for the cleanup will come from Enterprise Rent-A-Car, the city, El Centro and other organizations. Beautification Day will help set the stage for Saturday, when the 18th annual El Centro Block Party will be held to serve as a kickoff for Hispanic Heritage Month, which officially begins on Sept. 15. The block party will be from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and it will feature food trucks, inflatables, music, a car show, a boxing exhibition and numerous activities for kids. The event will also have a resource fair with more than 30 booths to provide information on resources and opportunities available to residents. El Centro is still seeking volunteers to help work the block party, so contact lcentroblockparty@lorainelcentro.org or 440-277-8235 if you are interested.