Farmworker Appreciation Commemorative Celebration

Following recent allegations, the planning committee renamed the program to better align with its focus on centering farmworkers and MSU's commitment to fostering a safe, respectful and inclusive environment for all.

2026 MSU Farmworker Appreciation Commemorative Celebration

Theme:
The Hands that Feed Us:
Honoring Traditions through Repowerment - Timetzalimet

(We are Indigenous in the Nahuatl language)

Thursday, March 26, 2026
6-8 p.m. (doors open at 5 p.m.)
Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center
219 S. Harrison Road, East Lansing, MI

Celebration Information

Michigan State University is celebrating its 16th Commemorative Celebration on Thursday, March 26, 2026, honoring farmworkers and farmworker advocates with a special on-campus dinner for MSU students, faculty, staff and local community leaders. The event recognizes the history, challenges, resilience and ongoing contributions of farmworker communities. The theme for 2026 is The Hands that Feed Us: Honoring Traditions through Repowerment - Timetzalimet (We are Indigenous in the Nahuatl language).

Each year, the MSU, Greater Lansing and East Lansing communities gather on campus to honor the strength of the Latino/e and farmworker communities and the allies who stand in solidarity to raise awareness of the contributions, hardships, issues and obstacles both ongoing and newly surfacing.

For more information, contact the Office for Inclusive Excellence and Impact at inclusion@msu.edu.

Registration

Please note registration is currently full. You may join a waitlist online for the 2026 celebration!

Once you register, you will get an email with your ticket(s) attached. If for some reason you are unable to attend, within the email, scroll down under “order summary," and click the link to “view and manage your order online." Here you can cancel your order. Note: If you cancel, it will cancel all tickets reserved under this order.

Parking is free with an MSU Employee Parking Permit. For Non-MSU visitors (non-students), parking will be redeemed at check-in through a QR code. Students are encouraged to take CATA bus lines 15, 18, 20, 25, 31, or 34. Additional parking available at Brody Hall (free on weekends).

Program Overview

5 p.m. — Doors open, registration begins, and displays available to view
5:15 p.m. — Self-serve buffet opens
5:45 p.m. — Danza Azteca (blessing of the venue)
6 p.m. — Welcome, land acknowledgement and farmworker prayer
6:15 p.m. — Circle with Abuela Celia Perez Booth, Ethriam Cash Brammer and Timetzalimet
7 p.m. — Pasos de la Tierra (balé florkoreico) performance
7:15 p.m. — Awards and committee recognition
7:45 p.m. — “De Colores” performance

Celebration Award Nominations

The Farmworker Appreciation Community Leadership Awards are an important part of the celebration. Nominations are now being accepted for the awards listed below. The winners will be recognized for their contributions at the celebration on March 26.

Descriptions can be found on the awards page.

Michigan State University Nominations:

MSU Faculty or Academic Staff of the Year (Plantando Semillas Award) 
MSU Staff of the Year (Farmworker Humanitarian Award)
MSU Latine/x Grassroots Student Organization of the Year (Cosechando Raices Award)
MSU Students (Aguila Award)

Statewide Nominations:

Community Organization (Orgullo del Pueblo (Pride of Community/People) Award)

Please note that the nomination process is now closed. Thank you to those who submitted nominees for recognition!

For questions, please contact Florensio Hernandez (herna159@msu.edu)