Good food, good music, and good fun abounded at Casa Ursulina on September 14, as the CU women celebrated Chilean Independence Day with their families and friends. The actual holiday, called the “Dieciocho” (the Spanish word for 18), is on September 18, but early in September Chilean flags start flying, and you can hear Chilean folk music playing almost everywhere.

In early August the Casa Ursulina community starts organizing for its annual “Peña” (PAIN-yah), a fiesta that calls on the talents, time, and generosity of a bevy of volunteers. The Peña is Casa Ursulina’s biggest fundraiser, with 200 or more guests (many of whom are workers as well) coming early and staying until the music and dancing stops in the morning’s wee hours.

Here are some photos to give you just a little taste of the spirit of this year’s Casa Ursulina Peña.