La Peña Cultural Center and the adjacent Café Valparaíso offer a taste of a faraway home for some and a window into different cultures and heritages for others. The concept of La Peña comes from Latin America, where in the 1960s artists and musicians created a space for collaboration. Now the tradition is being carried on in Berkeley by a multi-cultural group concerned with international and local social issues. Operating since 1975 and begun in response to the military coup of 1973 in Chile, the club hosts musical guests and community events and can boast annual visits by the internationally renown Chilean group Inti-Illimani. Sample tasty Chilean fare such as empanadas at Café Valparaíso before enjoying a show.
