47th annual Puerto Rican Day Festival in Bristol featured dancing, food and scholarships
By Samantha Bambino
The Times
A plethora of mouth-watering smells mingled with the salty breeze of the Delaware River at Bristol Waterfront Park on Saturday, July 28. Throughout the afternoon, noses were pleasantly bombarded with the flavorful scents of spices, meats and vegetables, which instantly plucked them from the familiarity of Bucks County to a tropical island paradise.
This was the 47th annual Puerto Rican Day Festival, which welcomed thousands to Bristol Borough for a day of appreciation for this rich culture. Organized by the Puerto Rican Cultural Association of Bucks County, the event featured music, dancing, traditional foods and a presentation of scholarships, all revolving around the theme “Puerto Rico Stands Strong.” In the midst of the festivities, the association wanted to ensure the hardships still felt on the island after 2017’s hurricane devastation aren’t forgotten.
As the highly-anticipated festival kicked off at noon, the sun beamed down in all its glory. A comfortable 80-something degrees with virtually no humidity, it was as though Mother Nature wanted a taste of the Puerto Rican culture as well.
Vendor tents were set up all along the waterfront with offerings to please guests of all ages. For those who didn’t come to the festival already donning the bright red, white and blue colors of the Puerto Rican flag, a number of vendors had clothing, hats and other merchandise available for purchase.
In true Puerto Rican fashion, an entire line of trucks was dedicated to providing attendees with popular, traditional cuisine including pernil, carne frita, empanadillas and pinchos. To wash it all down, those 21 and over could enjoy delectable-looking pina coladas adorned with colorful, miniature umbrellas.
Whether someone was sitting on a park bench enjoying their meal or out on the docks taking in the scenic view, the sounds of Puerto Rican music could be heard from all corners of the festival. Emceeing the event was DJ Chepo, who inspired attendees of all generations to show off their best dance moves to the high-energy tracks on his playlist. For those less confident about their improvisational abilities, elaborately dressed dancers were on hand to guide them.
Entertainment was provided by George Lamond, Lissette Melendez, Jimmy Jorge & the Latin Express, Los Caribenos and performers from Estilo Dance Studio. Younger festival-goers also took part in an arts and crafts competition, which pitted creative, Puerto Rican-inspired designs against each other. The contest was held in a designated kids’ section, which also featured cornhole and free balloon animals compliments of local radio station 101.1 MoreFM’s street team.
Mid-way through the afternoon, Puerto Rican Cultural Association of Bucks County vice president Nereida McCully-Breustedt took the marina stage to announce the recipients of the annual scholarship awards, something that’s become a staple of the festival. This year, thanks to generous donations from sponsors and various individuals, the association was able to distribute four $250 scholarships to deserving, recently graduated Bristol High School students.
Three of the four were in attendance: Kayla Reis, valedictorian of her senior class who plans to attend Ursinus College to study biochemistry; Joleis Torres, who will attend St. Joseph’s University and major in political science with the goal of becoming an immigration officer; and Xavier Corbin, who will study criminology with a minor in sociology at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. The final recipient, Elliot Rivera, was on vacation and unable to attend the ceremony.
Before sending them on their way to enjoy the rest of the festival, McCully-Breustedt imparted a few words of wisdom on the students.
“Follow your gut feeling about everything that you do,” she said. “If something does not feel right, that means it isn’t. Believe in yourself. Reach in your soul. Your soul and your beliefs will guide you.”
The Puerto Rican Cultural Association meets on the second Wednesday of every month. Meetings are held on the second floor of the Bristol Borough Hall, 250 Pond St. in Bristol, from 7 to 8:30 p.m., and are open to the public. All are invited to become a member. General membership dues are $25. Student and senior citizen memberships are $15. All memberships are renewed annually.
Currently, the association is seeking volunteers who are interested in the following: event planning, festival planning, fundraising, historic research, parade float design, parade organizing and cooking. For more information, contact president Maria Berrocal at 215–801–7855. ••
Samantha Bambino can be reached at sbambino@newspapermediagroup.com
