Southern Indiana Students Take a Swing at Winning Prizes During Piñata Contest

A piñata is defined as a "decorated figure of an animal containing toys and candy that is suspended from a height and broken open by blindfolded children as part of a celebration." I'm gonna go out on a limb and assume that at some point in your life, you have been the one blindly swinging a stick (or more likely a whiffle bat) hoping to smack a pinata hard even to bust it open.

You don't have to be of Hispanic descent to know what a piñata is or to appreciate how much fun they are, but it definitely is important to recognize and acknowledge its cultural significance. The Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library (EVPL) and the Centro Latino + Americano hope to do so by hosting a Piñata Contest during Hispanic Heritage Month (celebrated annually from September 15 to October 15).

Who Can Participate in the Contest?

The Piñata Contest is open to any elementary, middle, or high school student enrolled in one of the Evansville, Newburgh, Huntingburg, Jasper, Dale, Washington, Henderson, KY, or Sebree, KY schools.

What Other Contest Details Do I Need to Know?

• Piñatas must be registered and submitted between September 15-October 15, at EVPL Central in downtown Evansville.
• Read the complete rules available on our website or any EVPL location.
• Piñatas will be hung throughout EVPL Central as they are submitted.
• The piñatas will be voted on by library users from October 23-November 1. There will be one winner from each age group.
• The winners will be announced at Evansville's Dia de los Muertos (November 4) at 3pm at the EVPL West branch. Winners do NOT have to be present.
• The top two winners will receive a tablet, and there will also be five honorable mention winners.

You can find the complete set of rules online or at any of the eight EVPL locations.