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Bold blue text reading “Thank You to Our Sponsors,” expressing appreciation for supporters of Tia Chucha’s Celebrating Words Festival 2025.
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Logo for Tia Chucha’s Celebrating Words Festival 2025, featuring bold yellow-green 3D text with event details: May 31, 2025, Vaughn G3 Academy, Pacoima, CA.

For 20 years, Celebrating Words Art and Literacy Festival has honored the spirit and work of Tia Chucha's Centro Cultural, teaching us that words are medicine found in our stories, cultural offerings and creative expressions. This dynamic outdoor festival has inspired and amplified the artistic and educational lives of our attendees moving us towards a deeper understanding of self, culture, and community, through the powerful means of the arts and critical literacy.

May 31, 2025 ⦿ 11200 Herrick St. Pacoima, CA 91331 ⦿ 2-7pm

Map of the venue
Section Title in ln bold teal color saying Accomodations

BIKE VALET

Ride your bicicletas to the festival and we will park-it, and take care of it while you check out the event! Meet us at the main entrance. Freebies for our riders will include bike lights and bike bells!

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Suggested Bike Paths

SHUTTLE BUS

Avoid looking for street parking and take our shuttle! Available from 2pm-7pm.
 

Park at Vaughn International

Studies Academy 11505 Herrick Ave, Pacoima, CA 91331

ADA PARKING

ADA parking will be designated at the school driveway roundabout.

ASL INTERPRETATION

Volunteer ASL interpreters will be ready at both entrances to support your interpreting needs throughout the festival.

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*Please know that our volunteer interpreters are NOT all professionals, some may be students*

Text banner reading “Book Giveaway,” representing the free book distribution area for guests at the Celebrating Words Festival.
Six socially-conscious and inclusive book covers by BIPOC authors, featuring titles such as “Transmogrify,” “We Move Together,” “Parable of the Sower,” “Funeral for Flaca,” “Prisons Must Fall,” and “Nuestras Almas Migrantes,” promoting equity, justice, and imagination.

Our 1,000 Book Giveaway is intentionally designed to be a literacy resource that supports our community in becoming active readers, critical thinkers, and owners of personal libraries. Our book options include brand new titles in English, Spanish, and Bilingual options, for all ages. Make line, fill out our survey, select a book and take a photo afterwards!

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Books will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. One book per person.

Collage of a young musician singing and playing guitar on stage, surrounded by vibrant pink flowers, butterflies, an accordion, and nopales—symbolizing the joy of live performance.
Text reading “Flor y Canto Stage,” representing the main performance stage featuring poetry, spoken word, and music.

A space with workshops and activities inspired by everything literacy related.

A HOME OF MY OWN:

STAMP & COLLAGE STATION

Inspired by the House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, we’re using stamps and collaging self portraits. Join and receive a copy of The House on Mango Street while supplies last! Led by Xitlalic Guijosa-Osuna, in partnership with National Endowment of the Arts' project The Big Read.

NEVER ENOUGH BOOKMARKS

Personalize an acrylic bookmark with paint, stickers, and charms! Get your book fortune read for a chance to win a free copy of the book Pedro Paramo, while supplies last! Hosted by Jo & Jo Charms & Tia Chucha’s Book Club

SNAIL MAIL STATION

Decorate your own postcard, put an address on it, and we will mail it out for you! Hosted by Izuriel Marquez.

LET'S MAKE COMICS!

Make a one page comic by learning about character design and writing a story.  Hosted by comic book creator of Los Comex, Javier Hernandez.

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Session #1 - 3:30pm - 4:15 pm

Session #2 - 5:00 pm - 5:45 PM

SOWING GREATNESS

Learn about gardening, compost, native plants, seasonal herbs, and the planting process. Hosted by Shift Our Ways Collective.

MAKE A BOOK

Design and create a colorful folded book that tells a story about something special in your life. Hosted by LACMA.

BICI ARTE: SPOKE CARDS

Decorate your bike wheels by making your own spoke card. Hosted by La VACAcicleta.

ART EXHIBIT:

PANDEMIC CREATIONS: TEACHING ART THROUGH A LENS

Tia Chucha’s teaching artist, Elvia Aguirre, will be showcasing her Pandemic Creations collection, a selected body of work created in interactive step-by-step virtual classes, created between the years 2020-2022.  Alongside that collection she will have new pieces reflecting her community-based work as a teaching artist and a special showcase of select art pieces from her students.

Collage featuring two children reading books like “Dog Man” and “My Powerful Hair,” alongside a vintage typewriter and a colorful stack of books, framed by cactus and flowers.
Banner text “Literacy Lane,” representing an area dedicated to storytelling, reading, and literacy engagement for all ages.

Help us cultivate a transformative community where the culinary arts act as a catalyst for cultural exchange, personal empowerment, and sustainable living.

MINI RESOURCE FAIR:

Connect with local urban agriculture organizations. Stop by for free seed packets and more information on how to grow together! Participating organizations are:

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  • SHIFT OUR WAYS COLLECTIVE

  • BLACK THUMB FARM

  • COCO COCINA

NATIVE SEED BALL MAKING WORKSHOP

3PM - 3:30PM

Join us in making seed balls using native seeds from the Theodore PayneFoundation. Hosted by Tia Chucha’s CoCo Cocina Collective.

SOOTHE & BLOOM: HERBAL SALVE MAKING WORKSHOP

4:15PM - 4:45PM

Make your own herbal salves. Salves are usually made with infused herbal oils and beeswax, creating a rich balm that can help heal wounds, soothe insect bites, and moisturize dry, cracked skin.

SABOR A PACOIMA: COOKING DEMO

5:30PM-6:00PM

A cooking demo highlighting the flavor influences of Pacoima. Hosted by Guayaba Kitchen.

Bright collage of fresh produce—tomatoes, cilantro, lime, onions—next to a traditional stone molcajete, surrounded by flowers and cactus, highlighting the roots of ancestral foodways.
Banner reading “CoCo Cocina,” a food-focused initiative or space connected to Tia Chucha’s community cultural events.

Come build together, because another world is possible and under construction.

INDIGENOUS RESISTANCE: FROM THE JORDAN RIVER TO THE LACANDON JUNGLE

ESPAÑOL- 3:30PM-4:30PM

ENGLISH- 5:30PM-6:30PM

Participate in a conversation about the connections between Palestinian liberation and the indigenous struggle of the Zapatistas in Chiapas, Mexico.

ART EXHIBIT: SIERRA ARTS

Colectivo Urtarte is a woodcut print shop studio in Oaxaca. This is a large traveling print exhibit making a stop at Celebrating Words!

Prints will be available for sale.

TALKING WITH PLANTCESTORS

Learn Tongva and Smuwič (Chumash) words connected to plants

and animals by creating a lino block print postcard. Hosted by Meztli Projects.

AJUPEME USA

Play with the balls and tools used in ancestral ball games. Connect with this resource booth and learn more about: the mesoamerican ballgame, Ulama and Purépecha Ball, two original sports from ancient Mexico.

SONIDO PERRO NEGRO

Sonido Perro Negro poniendo el toque de Cumbia!

ROCK CLIMBING WALL

This 25 ft. climbing Rock Wall includes 3 different climbing paths. Open to all ages.

ART EXHIBIT: PALESTINA EN LA MEMORIA

A photo exhibit depicting Sexta Grietas del Norte’s cultural delegation visit to the West Bank of Palestine in July 2024. These photos capture the ways Palestinians organize to preserve and protect their life and culture amid the horrors of the occupation.

INDIGENOUS IN REAL TIME

GET TO KNOW KALPULLI TEMACHTIA QUETZALCOATL

3PM-3:30PM

CONETL (KIDS) COLORING CORNER

3:30PM - 4PM

MEXIKAH SONG CIRCLE

4PM-4:30PM

RHYTHMS OF UNITY:

BLACK AND BROWN SOLIDARITY DRUM CIRCLE

4:30PM-5:30PM

ALL AGES SONAJA MAKING WORKSHOP

5:30PM-7PM

ASK A STUDENT - ARTES MAGNET HIGH SCHOOL

The juniors at ArTES Magnet are here to help you engage politically in your community. Ask our student experts your pressing questions about voting, contacting your elected officials, and how to talk to people about difficult issues.

A young boy in a mariachi suit writing at a desk, surrounded by pink flowers, butterflies, cactus, and a vintage typewriter—symbolizing youth creativity and storytelling.
Text saying “Otro Mundo,” representing a children’s zone or youth-centered creative space at the Celebrating Words Festival.
Collage featuring young readers and activists holding a sign that reads “I Read Banned Books,” with red bandanas, raised fists, a megaphone, and surrounded by cactus, butterflies, and vibrant florals—symbolizing creative resistance and the power of literacy.

"WE FREE US" MAZE: CRIMINALIZATION IN THE US

Visit our interactive maze to walk through visual representations of the school-to-prison pipeline, youth detention centers, the prison industrial complex, and everyday criminalization. LA Healer will be offering medicinal healing, and a reflection area with a free resource guide, all inviting folks to continue exploring transformative justice.

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The first 60 participants will receive copies of a free book either "Emergent Strategy" or "Letters from a Prisoner."

This area will highlight generational labor and call attention to the oppressive carceral system in order to reduce our community’s stigma and take a closer look at the systems that are responsible.

ART EXHIBIT: IN HERE, NOT FROM HERE

This exhibit will feature the visual and written work from participants in Tia Chucha's Trauma 2 Transformation program. These participants are incarcerated in Barry J. Nidorf STYF, LAC Dorothy Kirby Center, and the California Institution for Men.

MINI RESOURCE FAIR:

A curated collection of transformative resources will be distributed by our featured organizations:

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  • FROM TRAUMA 2 TRANSFORMATION

  • ARTS FOR HEALING AND JUSTICE NETWORK

  • SFV YOUTH DEVELOPMENT NETWORK

  • THE SOCIAL IMPACT CENTER

Text graphic titled “Creative Resistance,” denoting a space or programming focused on art, activism, and social justice.
A young woman painting a kite scene on canvas, surrounded by flowers, cactus, a vintage typewriter, and a molcajete—celebrating youth creativity and cultural storytelling through visual art.

Art is healing and healing is an artform. Connect & create art with our highlighted organizations.

MARIGOLD SUGAR SCRUB

Make your very own Cempasúchil (marigold) petals sugar scrub. Hosted by Pukúu, Oxnard Birth Workers Collective, and Community Roots Garden.

DO-IT-YOURSELF LIGHT UP CARD!

Design your own greeting card and build a circuit to make it light up! Hosted by DIY Girls.

BEADING TREASURES

Create a beaded bracelet with your favorite word or a short affirmation. Hosted by Tati Cruz.

COMMUNITY RESOURCE FAIR

  • CARECEN

  • Child Care Resource Center

  • Civfx Distro

  • El Centro de Amistad

  • Guide Dogs of America

  • Hermandad Mexicana Nacional

  • JM Homecare Solutions

  • LA Care and Blue Shield Promise Community Resource Center – Panorama City

  • Los Angeles Poets Society

  • NAMI San Fernando

  • Nature for All

  • North Los Angeles County Resource Center

  • Penny Lane Centers

  • Plaza Comunitaria Sinaloa

  • Somos Familia Valle

  • The GR818ERS

  • TreePeople

  • Valley Community Rollers

Flyer promoting the Arte Sana vendors and art workshops including beading, sugar scrubs, and light-up card crafting.
Vibrant collage of festival food including a frosted cake, aguas frescas, savory dishes, and tacos, surrounded by cactus, marigolds, and pink florals celebrating culinary diversity.
Collage of artisan vendor goods including herbal remedies, prints, t-shirts, and protest signs like “No One is Illegal on Stolen Land,” framed by florals, cactus, and cultural pride.
Hearts and Hands Mercadito section listing food vendors and artisan creators representing local culture and cuisine.
Bold yellow and navy text that reads “Artwork Giveaway!” in a dynamic, block-style font, promoting a free art-themed prize opportunity.
Celebrating Words Festival coloring book surrounded by cacti, flowers, and open pages with word searches and drawings, promoting family literacy and creative expression.

COLORING BOOK GIVEAWAY

Promotional announcement for a limited-edition poster by Kalli Arte Collective for the Celebrating Words Festival 2025.

LIMITED EDITION POSTER BY

KALLI ARTE COLLECTIVE

Limited edition sticker designed by Vanessa Gomez, created for the 2025 Celebrating Words Festival.

LIMITED EDITION STICKER BY

VANESSA GOMEZ

Cut-out image of a green prickly pear cactus (nopales) on a black background, bordered in white paper edges with a hand-crafted sticker aesthetic.
Cut-out image of a green prickly pear cactus (nopales) on a black background, bordered in white paper edges with a hand-crafted sticker aesthetic.
Cut-out image of a green prickly pear cactus (nopales) on a black background, bordered in white paper edges with a hand-crafted sticker aesthetic.
Cut-out image of a green prickly pear cactus (nopales) on a black background, bordered in white paper edges with a hand-crafted sticker aesthetic.
Cut-out image of a green prickly pear cactus (nopales) on a black background, bordered in white paper edges with a hand-crafted sticker aesthetic.
Cut-out image of a green prickly pear cactus (nopales) on a black background, bordered in white paper edges with a hand-crafted sticker aesthetic.
Cut-out image of a green prickly pear cactus (nopales) on a black background, bordered in white paper edges with a hand-crafted sticker aesthetic.
Cut-out image of a green prickly pear cactus (nopales) on a black background, bordered in white paper edges with a hand-crafted sticker aesthetic.
Cut-out image of a green prickly pear cactus (nopales) on a black background, bordered in white paper edges with a hand-crafted sticker aesthetic.
Artistic cut-out of a hummingbird in flight, rendered in realistic colors and outlined in bold black to resemble a paper sticker.
Artistic cut-out of a hummingbird in flight, rendered in realistic colors and outlined in bold black to resemble a paper sticker.
Indigenous grecas

HOURS OF OPERATION:

Mon - Fri :   2 - 9 PM
Saturday : 12 - 8 PM
Sunday :   CLOSED

email: info@tiachucha.org
phone: (818)939-3433

12677 Glenoaks Blvd. Sylmar, CA 91342

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© 2024 - TIA CHUCHA'S CENTRO CULTURAL & BOOKSTORE 

Tia Chuchas logo in teal color
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