2025 LCA Picnic

The Latino Civic Association of Tompkins County (LCA) welcomed over one hundred attendees to the 16th annual Picnic at Stewart Park on Saturday, August 16, 2025. This year, the LCA was proud to partner with local Latina-owned business Yxi’s Arepas & The Chef Gordito to cater the event. CNY Latino Newspaper (CNY) also set up a table and tent displaying their latest issues and hosted some lively dominoes games, continuing a strong decades-long partnership between CNY and the LCA. This event was made possible in part by a grant from the Tompkins County Tourism Program, which funded catering for the event.

There were many first-time attendees, including families, young couples, and groups of friends. While some attendees live in the local area, others traveled over 50 miles attend. Several first-time attendees said they were either brand new to the area or had been here a few years and hadn't connected with the Latine community yet. For them, the LCA picnic was an opportunity to plug in. 

“It reminded me of my family cookouts back home,” a Cornell University student shared. After the event, a first-time attendee from Moravia contacted the LCA to say that her child was "babbling away about how much fun he just had making other Latino friends." We hope to see everyone again at future events!

Now more than ever it is important to gather and continue building community together. Over the next three months, the Latino Civic Association will be hosting a variety of events celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month. If you'd like to get involved please stop into one of the monthly board meetings held at the Tompkins County Public Library on the second Tuesday of each month or sign up to help online here.