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Hispanic Heritage Month 2026
Illinois is honored to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, September 15th through October 15th. Illinois will also take part in amplifying Support Latino Business Day on September 14th - a national call to action that acknowledges and encourages support for Latino-owned businesses.
During this monthlong celebration, DCEO will be hosting a series of events including an Outreach Tour to meet with Latino-owned businesses in their local communities across the state. Through a monthlong social media campaign, DCEO will also highlight Latino community leaders, organizations, and business enterprises throughout the state along with spotlighting DCEO Latino staff working to strengthen the state. Download DCEO’s Hispanic Heritage Month Social Media Toolkit and join the celebration!
Events
Workshop in Western Cook County Suburbs
Monday | October 5, 2026 |3:00 PM
More information coming soon
Workshop on Finance and Technical Assistance in Sterling, IL
Tuesday | October 13, 2026 | 10:00 AM
More information coming soon
Hispanic Heritage Month Outreach Tour: Open Office Hours
Wednesday | September 16, 2026 | 6:00 – 7:50 PM
Urbana Free Library (Lewis Auditorium)
210 W Green St, Urbana, IL 61801
NO REGISTRATION REQUIRED
GRANITE CITY hosted by SIX MILE REGIONAL LIBRARY DISTRICT (Spanish)
Friday | September 18, 2026 | 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Six Mile Regional Library District
2001 Delmar Ave, Granite City, IL 62040
NO REGISTRATION REQUIRED
OAK PARK hosted by HERMOSA BELMONT CRAGIN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Wednesday | September 30, 2026 | 3:00 – 8:00 PM
Self-Help Credit Union Bank
6011 W North Ave, Oak Park, IL 60302
Thursday | October 1, 2026 | 2:00 – 8:00 PM
PODER
3357 W 55th St, Chicago, IL 60632
MELROSE PARK hosted by MELROSE PARK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Tuesday | October 6, 2026 | 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Senior Center
900 N. 25th Ave, Melrose Park, IL
HILLSIDE hosted by MELROSE PARK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Tuesday | October 6, 2026 | 2:00 – 5:00 PM
4850 Butterfield Road, Hillside, IL 60162
BLOOMINGTON-NORMAL hosted by ILLINOIS WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY (Spanish)
Friday | October 9, 2026 | 6:00 – 8:30 PM
Illinois Wesleyan University - State Farm Hall – 1st Floor, Room 102
1402 Park St, Bloomington, IL 61701
NO REGISTRATION REQUIRED
HOFFMAN ESTATES hosted by NORTHWEST HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Thursday | October 15, 2026 | 3:00pm -7:00pm
Bell Works Chicagoland
2000 Center Dr, Hoffman Estates, IL
Registration link coming soon.
Touring Latino-Owned Businesses
In recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month and National Manufacturing Month, DCEO will tour a Latino-owned manufacturing company to highlight their work and share available business resources.
Additionally, to celebrate Latinos in agriculture, DCEO will tour a Latino-owned agricultural business and meet with owners to discuss programs, initiatives, and available resources that support their growth.
Support Latino Business Day & Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month Tool Kit & Resources
4th Annual Latin@ Economic Summit One-Pager Resources
The 4th Annual Latin@ Economic Summit was held on Thursday, July 23, 2026, and welcomed more than 320 attendees. The planning group created one‑page resource guides for each workshop. The bilingual (English/Spanish) one‑pagers are available below to offer additional educational resources for entrepreneurs and future business owners.
- AI for Beginners: The Business Owner’s Guide to AI
- Built to Last Beyond You
- Business Best Practices in an Uncertain Economy
- Contracts 101: Know What You Sign & Legal Resources for Business Owners
- Creative Strategies to Drive Foot Traffic and Boost Revenue
- From Newcomer to Business Owner: Entrepreneurship & Rights for Immigrants
- Fund it Differently – Alternative Lending Solutions
- How to Build Powerful Business Credit and Protect Your Personal Finances
Business Assistance Needed?
Business resources
- DCEO OE3 Newsletter – DCEO OE3’s monthly newsletter shares business resources including grants, loans, and other helpful resources for businesses. The newsletter is sent in both English and Spanish.
- Business Information Center – Provides comprehensive information and technical support to businesses with questions and concerns about mitigations, government regulations and business assistance programs. Business Information Center can be reached in English and Spanish at 1-800-252-2923 or ceo.firststop@illinois.gov.
- Incentives and Tax Assistance - Illinois offers a competitive range of incentives for locating and expanding your business, including tax credits and exemptions that encourage business growth and job creation.
- Small Business Environmental Assistance Program (SBEAP) - The Small Business Environmental Assistance Program is a non-regulatory program which provides free, confidential assistance to Illinois small businesses to help them succeed. Services include a toll-free helpline 1-800-252-3998 for confidential regulatory questions.
- State Small Business Credit Initiative Technical Assistance (SSBCI TA) Program - The SSBCI TA Program helps small businesses, especially Socially and Economically Disadvantaged Individuals (SEDI) and Very Small Businesses (VSBs) to overcome systemic barriers to capital access by offering targeted technical assistance. SSBCI TA Providers offer free Legal, Accounting, and Financial Advisory services to help entrepreneurs become fully prepared to access capital, specifically federal loan programs.
For more information on Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month and Support Latino Business Day events planned for businesses, contact Diana Alfaro, the Latinx Business Development Manager, at Diana.Alfaro@Illinois.gov or the Latino Business Development Specialist, Erik Castelan at Erik.Castelan@Illinois.gov to learn more about ongoing resources and programs for businesses, follow DCEO on social media @IllinoisDCEO.