{"id":5061044,"date":"2022-07-01T12:04:35","date_gmt":"2022-07-01T12:04:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/illatinonews.com\/?p=5061044"},"modified":"2022-07-01T12:04:35","modified_gmt":"2022-07-01T12:04:35","slug":"puerto-rican-festival-returns-in-person-celebrates-richness-of-culture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/illn\/2022\/07\/01\/puerto-rican-festival-returns-in-person-celebrates-richness-of-culture\/","title":{"rendered":"Puerto Rican Festival Returns In Person, Celebrates Richness of Culture"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The annual Puerto Rican Fest returned richer than ever to Chicago\u2019s Humboldt Park neighborhood with celebratory pi\u00f1a coladas, bomba dancing, alcapurrias and everything red, white and blue. Although violence occurred at last year\u2019s<\/a> Puerto Rican Day Parade, this year\u2019s attendees enjoyed a vibrant and peaceful weekend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The festival was held Thursday June 9<\/a> through Sunday June 12, celebrating Puerto Rican culture and pride in person, without restrictions, after two years of the ongoing pandemic. Puerto Rican Festival committee members said that this year\u2019s ticket prices increased due to budget concerns, costing visitors $10 to enter the festival. In 2018 ticket prices were $2 and in 2019 they were $5 according to a 2021 Paseo Podcast episode<\/a>, which featured members of the Puerto Rican Festival committee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Erica Perez owner of Nola Taino shows off her bomba inspired painted woodcuts.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Puerto Rican artist, owner of Nola Ta\u00edno and DePaul alumna Erica Perez was excited to finally be back and share her culture through her art. She said a lot of her inspiration comes from her Ta\u00edno<\/a> roots\u2014 the indigenous people of the Caribbean and Florida who danced bomba. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDance and music is what inspires most of my stuff and that\u2019s where I want to continue to lead, \u201d Perez said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her artwork is mostly crafted from reclaimed wood, ranging from wine caddies, earrings, painting cut outs and even propagation tubes made from leftover benches. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The festival is a way for Perez and many other Puerto Ricans to embrace their roots even though they live away from the island.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI connect a lot to the island every time I go there,\u201d Perez said. \u201cI cry when I leave.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the distance, solidarity with the island was visible across the park as many wore a black and white version of the Puerto Rican flag, including Perez.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
A festival visitor holds up the Puerto Rican resistance flag.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This flag is known as the resistance flag and was a response to the Obama administration passing the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act (PROMESA) in 2016, which gave the United States financial control over Puerto Rico according to USA Today<\/a>. Critics<\/a> such as Bernie Sanders viewed this decision as an act of colonialism because PROMESA\u2019s board was composed of people who did not live nor were elected in Puerto Rico. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The flag is now often used as a symbol of resistance and grief according to USA Today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe black Puerto Rican flag is a representation of resistance of the political people on the island,\u201d Perez said. \u201cIt unites us here you know, we\u2019re so far away and so I feel like anytime I see someone wearing it here, like no, I’m with my people.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Angelica Torres chopped up bits of ice and pieces of pineapple in a blender to serve guests fresh pi\u00f1a colada drinks. For her the festival is a way to not only celebrate her culture but also earn some money. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Torres has been coming to the festival for around eight years now and after not attending for two years, she said being back felt \u201camazing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While she multitasked between taking orders and making drinks, Torres reflected on her Puerto Rican heritage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have a great culture, great food, great drinks, and an amazing island,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
Festival visitors wait in line for traditional Puerto Rican cuisine.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
A couple danced to salsamusic in front of the stage hosted by Fiestas Patronales Puertorrique\u00f1as.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The festival encapsulated more than art and delicious drinks; it was also a place where medical clinics like CALOR<\/a> could educate the Humboldt Park community about STIs. CALOR provided free HIV testing at the festival. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

CALOR program manager Alfredo Flores said it felt appropriate to attend the festival because organizations like CALOR are not typically present at events like these. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a way to access individuals,\u201d Flores said. \u201cIt\u2019s really important to also help educate individuals at festivals who might not know their status and want to know about HIV.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flores said they were able to test over 300 people during the festival’s four day celebrations. This was a \u201cbig first\u201d according to Flores because of the high stigma around HIV. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For CALOR, part of destigmatizing HIV in the Latinx community is creating a welcoming environment. Their tent was surrounded by pride flags and representatives dancing to reggaeton music. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flores said that people often approach the CALOR tent quietly, but once they enter their space and see them dancing, \u201cthey\u2019re like, \u2018oh my god,\u2019 that\u2019s my people.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Festival attendees like Noelani Sanchez said she felt safe at this year\u2019s event despite the neighborhood’s struggle with gun violence in previous years. There were nine homicides and 29 shootings in the 26th Ward in August 2021 according to Block Club\u2019s analysis on Chicago Police Department data.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI personally have never felt unsafe,\u201d Sanchez said. \u201cI always feel pretty secure, everyone is friendly and just happy to be there. I haven\u2019t had a bad experience myself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Previous festival attendees expressed concerns about the rise in ticket prices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a 2021 Paseo Podcast episode, <\/a>Executive Director of the Puerto Rican Festival Carlos Jim\u00e9nes Flores said that the reason for the ticket price uptick was due to budget issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe problem is we have no budget.\u201d Flores said in 2021. \u201cWe have no budget, we have no home.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flores said that he and the other committee members have a lot of ideas they wish to implement but they struggle to do so because of lack of money. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI know that people are gonna feel some type of way with us charging at the gate, but there is no other way to raise money for next year,\u201d Flores said in 2021. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flores explained that the ticket funds collected at the door will be reinvested into the Humboldt Park community. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe money that we get not only are web generating resources and connecting the community with so many different outlets for positivity so we can impact the negativity that\u2019s going on in our neighborhoods,\u201d Flores said in 2021. \u201cThat’s the only way to battle the violence and the poverty and the lack of education.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Agenda of Chicago and the Puerto Rican Festival of Chicago did not respond to comments about safety and ticket prices in time for publication. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hundreds of people attended the festival over the weekend. Although the festival was open to everyone, Puerto Rican traditions were at the center. People were able to learn about the culture up close through the fresh food, live music and authentic vendors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perez said that they hope attendees leave the festival with a newfound appreciation for Puerto Rico. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI hope that they’re inspired to try new things and go different ways and also respect their culture as well,\u201d Perez said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

_________________________________________________________________________________<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Publisher’s Note: You can read La DePaulia’s Spanish language version of El festival puertorrique\u00f1o regresa despu\u00e9s de dos a\u00f1os de pandemia<\/em> here<\/a> and The DePaulia’s version of Puerto Rican Festival returns in person, celebrates richness of culture <\/em>here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Illinois Latino News (ILLN) and La DePaulia are partners <\/a>in best serving the Hispanic-Latino community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Nadia Hernandez<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Nadia Hernandez is an undergrad junior at DePaul University studying journalism. She is currently the print managing editor at The DePaulia and President of National Association of Hispanic Journalists DePaul chapter. Twitter @naddivz<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Jacqueline Cardenas<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Jacqueline Cardenas is an undergrad junior majoring in journalism with a concentration in Latino Communication at DePaul University. She is the editor-in-chief of La DePaulia. She is a first-generation Mexican-American student and aspires to diversify the news industry. She loves nature and reading in her spare time. Twitter: @jackiecardenas_<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The annual Puerto Rican Fest returned richer than ever to Chicago\u2019s Humboldt Park neighborhood with celebratory pi\u00f1a coladas, bomba dancing, 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