We know that even though the official Latine/x Heritage Month has come to a close (October 15th) we are never done celebrating cultural roots!

And, October kicks us off into the real fall feels along with other important milestones we want to make sure we're shouting out for our artists and creators whose roots emerge from these other fertile soils.

October 11th is National Coming Out Day - so we're sending love to our queer relatives amongst us. Whether out or not, this holiday celebrates the visibility of our queer fam. And let's be real, we could use more love versus hate in these times.

Earlier this week, October 13th marked Indigenous People's Day - so let us officially honor and uplift the historic and contemporary keepers of our lands. As I (KCF) am writing this from Minnesota the homelands of the Dakota and Ojibwe peoples - I am grateful to my state for officially recognizing this day and urge others to advocate for their communities to do the same.

It's always good to learn, so if you're curious about the Indigenous peoples history where you live, these are invaluable resources - Native-Land.ca to learn more about land stewardship and treaties and Whose Land can help aid you in crafting your own land acknowledgement.

While all these dates may be behind us for now, we wanted to just send a quick note your way to remind us all to slow down and notice the changing leaves, the shifting sun, and the beauty that remains around us.

And as a special thank you for reading and being in our community, please enjoy this beautiful artwork by Siricasso. For our newsletter subscribers only! Click the image to download and use as your digital wallpaper or print out for some art where you could use some joyful color.

Thanks for reading! We're glad you're here in all your cultural roots and offerings.

Until next month: In rural we vibe,

KCF and The MONfest Team