Independence Day Celebrations at Laguna Verde

Chile celebrated their Independence day this past week on September 18th! One of the neighborhoods that we work with, Laguna Verde, welcomed in the holiday weekend by having a school-wide festival full of games, typical Chilean food, and music. Valpo Surf Project was excited to be able to attend the festivities and have a time to chat with our students and their families.

Students created projects about Chilean Independence Day which were displayed all around the school courtyard. This was a great way for Valpo Surf Project to learn a bit more about the history of September 18th and the different celebrations that take place around Chile. It was a creative display of information and we were proud to know that some of our students helped create it!

There was lots of delicious typical Chilean food being served which included, sopaipillas, mote con huesillo, and charquican. Sopaipillas are made of deep fried dough, generally with pureed pumpkin, and are formed as disks and then deep fried. They are a delicious, simple and savory snack! Mote con huesillo is a sweet drink which is made with cooked dried peaches and cooked husked wheat mixed with water and cinnamon. Charquican is a warm stew of beef with potatoes, corn, and plenty of vegetables.

Valpo Surf Project is grateful to be apart of the community in Laguna Verde and hopes to continue celebrating important holidays and events in the future with our students and their families!