Summer in the City Spotlight #3: Puerto Rican Parade & Festival del Coqui
Asopao. Arroz con gandules y lechon. Tostones.
Do any of these ring a bell? One of them is the national dish of Puerto Rico; yellow rice and pigeon peas with roasted pork. If your mouth isn’t watering yet, just wait until June 2nd. With one of the largest Puerto Rican populations in the country, Hartford is set to be a destination for the Puerto Rican Parade & Festival del Coqui.
The Parade & Festival are organized by the ConnecticutInstitute for Community Development Puerto Rican Parade Committee (CICD), whichis “committed to preserving [Puerto Rican] culture by promoting leadership andeducation, celebrating traditions and being involved in community service forthe Puerto Rican and Hispanic community.” Board President and Vice ChairpersonSammy Vega works with 9 other Board members and 50 volunteers to organize thismassive annual undertaking. “The Board is made up of members from the cultural,nonprofit, education, government, and business sectors,” says Vega. “They bringan array of skills, ideas and points of view to the organization, whichtranslates into strategic thinking to propel CICD forward. They are the newgeneration of leaders who continue to promulgate the work done by many otherswho came before them.”
The Parade and Festival are indeed not only a celebration ofGreater Hartford’s current Puerto Rican population, but also the firstgeneration of immigrants who arrived in Connecticut in the 1840’s. In additionto being cultural and historical in nature, the celebration is also meant to beeducational. With the help of national brands like GOYA and Tito’s HandmadeVodka and local partners such as Dressler Law and Access Health CT, CICD andits volunteers are excited to continue showcasing and educating the public aboutPuerto Rican culture. Asked what his favorite part of the event is, Vega wasquick to reply, “seeing people from all nationalities enjoying our beautifulculture, music, food…” That is really what Summer in the City is all about - acelebration of Hartford’s many different cultures.
If, for whatever reason, you aren’t able to take part in the Parade (as if asopao, sweet and sticky rice cooked in ginger, milk, coconut milk, raisins and rum isn’t enough of an incentive), CICD has partnered with WTNH News 8 to broadcast the parade live. Festival attendees can also look forward to performances by local and national artists including salsa singer Hector Tricoche, Domenic Marte, and Hartford native Shorty C.
- Dan Deutsch, Marketing & Communications Manager
GHAC