Dia de los Ninos/Dia de los Libros (Children’s Day/Book Day) has been a popular cultural celebration in Marshalltown for more than 20 years. While it was sidelined due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s back this year and will take place Sunday at Midnight Garden, 1501 S. 17th Avenue, from 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Free and open to the public, it’s sponsored by the Marshalltown Public Library and Immigrant Allies, along with several community partners.

In 1924, Mexico’s President Alvaro Obregon signed the now-defunct League of Nations’ Declaration of the Rights of the Child. The signing’s anniversary the next year — April 30, 1925 — resulted in the country’s first Dia del Nino. In the mid-1990s, author and poet Pat Mora rebranded the celebration for the United States, explains Youth Services Director Joa LaVille.

“The American Library Association has taken it under its wing as an official program for libraries, but the Marshalltown Public Library was the first library in Iowa to host Dia de los Ninos/Dia de los Libros – with the help of many community partners – and held the event at the library, with hundreds of people attending every year, until the pandemic,” LaVille said.

The aim has always been to host it around the end of April to coincide with the April 30 anniversary.

Food vendors will be present from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.: Big Açaí, El Pacifico, Cruz Tacos, Midnight Garden and the Karenni Community of Marshalltown.

There will be music by DJ Tejada; the Latin Dance Club of MHS will perform at 1:30 p.m.; Movement & Dance Activity with Lori Kubli of Remix Dance at 2:30 p.m.; Escaramuza Zacatenas infantil dance at 3 p.m.; plus musical chairs (with prizes), parachute and dance activities in between. There will also be a petting area by the Marshalltown ARL, bouncy houses, giant blocks and balance boards. Members of the MCC and MHS soccer teams will lead youth in a soccer kick challenge.

And perhaps best of all, every child will leave with a free book.

When looking for a place to hold the event, LaVille reached out to Midnight Garden owner Luisa Ortega to make sure she didn’t have anything scheduled at her venue that may conflict with Dia de los Ninos/Dia de los Libros. They decided to team up.

“Since we got the Garden, I’ve had a lot of ideas of things I wanted to do out there – many of them being community events,” Ortega said.

LaVille added that although the library prefers to host on-site programming, Dia activities could be distracting to other library patrons.

“It was a great turnout but the fiesta atmosphere wasn’t always conducive to the library and we have so many people using the library now,” she said.

Ortega added, “I think Midnight Garden is going to lend itself to a lot more outdoor activities and a lot more room for kids to run around. I’m excited to be working with Joa. She’s been doing this event for years.”

What makes the event run each year is a legion of teen volunteers.

“A really important part of Dia to me — and part of the history of Dia at our library — has been the volunteer opportunities for teens. We will have many, many teen volunteers,” LaVille said.

A segment of these volunteers will be provided by longtime library partner Al Exito, plus Big Brothers Big Sisters. Other partners include: ISU Extension/4H, Animal Rescue League, NIH, MHS Latin Dance Club, MCC Tigers Soccer, MHS Bobcats Soccer and Football team, CAPS, YMCA/YWCA, Primary Health Care, Friends of the Marshalltown Public Library, Exterior & Junk Relief, and others.

“If it’s successful, we hope to be able to continue doing it on a yearly basis,” Ortega said. “I hope people can give us their feedback on how to make the event bigger and better. That’s the key to events in Marshalltown: when we have collaboration and support from the community.”

In addition to Dia, the library is now in its fourth year partnering with the Marshalltown Central Business District for the MCBD Storybook Walk.

“We’ve been having so much fun with doing the walk that we wanted to continue to do that, but we also wanted to bring back our in person (Dia de los Ninos/Dia de los Libros),” LaVille explained.

The scavenger hunt activity runs from April 1 to May 5. Forms can be picked up at the library, printed off or completed online. Turn them in at the youth services desk by May 5 to earn a free book and the chance to be entered in a drawing to win Dia de los Ninos/Dia de los Libros grand prizes.

For more information, the library may be reached at: 641-754-5738.