Sat 8/3 @ noon-10PM
Sun 8/4 @ 11AM-10PM
As many Clevelanders know (or should) not, an overwhelming majority of the city’s Hispanic population is Puerto Rican. Their presence is especially conspicuous in some areas of Cleveland’s west side, where you can spot Puerto Rican groceries, restaurants and other businesses. And their numbers are growing.
And once a year, they pull out all the stops for their big annual Puerto Rican Cultural & Musical Festival and Parade, taking place at Quad Park, 2500 MetroHealth Drive. The two-day festival features nonstop music with Moncho Rivera and New Jersey-based Puerto Rican salsa singer/actor Frankie Negrón headlining with more than a dozen other performers from Cleveland, Puerto Rico, Miami, Orlando, New York City, Buffalo, Peru and Cuba also taking the stage. Dance ensembles from the Cleveland Ballet, Julia de Burgos and the Latin Dance Rebels will also be strutting their stuff and a roster of DJs will be spinning between sets to keep the party going. There’ll be mountains of great food and drink to fuel the dancing that’s sure to ensue.
The parade steps off on Sunday at 11am in a riot of color, bling and celebration, with floats, marchers and decorated vehicles wending their way from Scranton Road and Seymour Avenue to Quad Park.
Admission is free.