Through the large glass windows of Great Florida Bank in Little Havana, passersby could see dozens of multicolored children's drawings and people dancing to salsa music.

The youth art was on display during a reception to announce the winners of the Children's Hispanic Heritage Art Contest.

Inside the bank's Solution Center, 1465 SW Eighth St., the winners and their families took part in the celebration of the second annual contest. The contest was sponsored by the Great Florida Bank, in honor of the Hispanic Heritage Month, for children to express, through artwork, what being of Hispanic origin means to them.

For Felipe Pereiro, 9, who took first place in the contest, the occasion was especially festive.

''I went nuts and felt excited, when I found out I had won,'' Felipe said.

On his drawing, Pereiro, a fourth-grade student at Good Shepherd Catholic School, depicted symbols of the culture he has learned about, from his Cuban parents, Alina and Jorge Pereiro.

''I was thinking of my Cuban culture at home, when I made the picture,'' Felipe said.

The winning entry showed a large blue map of Cuba surrounded by dominoes, a cup of steaming Cuban coffee with the Cuban flag on it, people playing music and musical notes, a guayabera, a Cuban cigar and the Cuban coat of arms, among other images of Cuban culture.

The bank, in partnership with The Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald, ran a month-long campaign to promote participation of all children of Hispanic heritage in the event. The contest received nearly 1,000 entries from children between 8 and 12 years old.

Pereiro, the grand-prize winner, received $500. The two second-prize winners, Noel Fuentes, 8, who attends Good Shepherd Catholic School and Sophia Parlade, 10, who attends St. Timothy Catholic School, received $250 each. Twenty participants received honorable mention and $50 each.

The reception was held in conjunction with Viernes Culturales, an event that showcases artists' works, crafts and live music.

It takes place the last Friday of every month, on Eighth Street, between 12th and 17th avenues, where area restaurants and art galleries stay open late.

Friday, the festival was canceled because of rain, but it did not stop some people from coming to the galleries and joining the celebration at the bank.

''It was great; the paintings were gorgeous and the music was great,'' said Amy Weisman de Mamani said after the reception.

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