When Enrique Montano speaks of his culture, “first and foremost,” the Louisville City FC defender says, comes family. Then there’s food, music and, of course, soccer.
LouCity will highlight them all Saturday when the club hosts its first Hispanic Heritage Night, a celebration coinciding with its 7:30 p.m. game against the Richmond Kickers at Louisville Slugger Field.
Montano hopes the evening increases LouCity’s outreach to the local Hispanic community, continuing what he tries to do daily.
“For me, one of the key reasons I play is to spread the word of where I come from and what my culture is,” said Montano, a native Californian and the son of Mexican immigrants.
Now a second-year pro in Louisville, Montano spent his summers until high school in a town about an hour from Guadalajara, one of the Mexico’s largest cities. Saturday, he’s thinking, will feel like a return home.
Hispanic Heritage Night begins outside the West entrance to Slugger Field at 5:30 p.m., when free traditional food, dance groups, face painting and music will converge at the el Jimador Fiesta Latina.
“Hopefully when you have a team with a player like me, who’s a Spanish speaker, the Hispanic community feels more inclined to come check out what’s going on,” Montano said.
Once in the stadium, supporters will hear public address announcements in both English and Spanish, with traditional music mixed into the regular game day playlist.
On the field, Montano remains a contributor on a LouCity back line that hasn’t allowed more than two goals since July. The left back has appeared in eight games, last time out going the full 90 minutes in a 1-1 draw Aug. 13 with the Rochester Rhinos.
When Montano dines at some of his favorite local spots — among them Taco Luchador on Bardstown Road and Con Huevos on Frankfort Avenue — he strikes up conversations in his LouCity gear.
“And the people who work there overhear,” Montano said. “‘Oh, you play for Louisville City?’ I’ll tell them to check it out.
“…That’s one of the main roles when I started playing that I wanted to take on — be a public figure among my people, the Hispanic community.”
