Flags Fly High At Puerto Rican Festival

Ramon Rivera attends the annual Puerto Rican Festival on the New Haven Green every year — and Saturday was no exception. He sells Puerto Rican flags of varying sizes and colors, each latched to a wooden dowel, making them perfect for waving in the air or propping against chairs, strollers, and even traffic cones. ​“I like being with my people,” said Rivera, who is Puerto Rican himself. ​“It brings us back home as a family.”

Rivera has sold flags at many other cultural events — Irish flags for Saint Patrick’s Day, American for the Fourth of July — but working at the Puerto Rican Festival feels special to him. ​“It feels like home,” he said.

On Saturday, the entire New Haven Green vanished under a sea of red stripes, blue triangles, and white stars for the event, organized by Puerto Ricans United, Inc. 

The Puerto Rican community of New Haven arrived en masse, decked out with clothing, flags, and umbrellas adorned with the Puerto Rican name and colors. Neither the spatterings of rain nor the following waves of heat could discourage the crowd. They came to celebrate their heritage, and celebrate they did.

Yericka Estrada, the owner of Mighty Donuts, attended the festival with her donut truck for the first time. ​“We want to put our name out here… and we are from Puerto Rico, so we want to be a part of everything for Puerto Rico,” said Estrada. For her, the festival provided an opportunity to feel a sense of community. ​“All Puerto Ricans are gathering together, bringing our culture and food,” she said.

Estrada’s neighbor on the Green, Isaac Lebron of El Coqui Souvenirs, has attended the festival for years. Lebron sells shirts, hats, keychains, household items, and more, all Puerto Rican themed. Like Estrada, he said the festival represents community and his Puerto Rican roots. ​“You can see people, see the kids playing, even the vendors communicate and help each other out,” said Lebron. ​“Not only does the festival bring up the idea of Puerto Rico for people, it represents the open and accepting culture. It shows how happy we are, and we want to express that joy.”

Joy rose up into the air like the steam from the evaporating rain, or the seasoned smoke from the food trucks. Children chased bubbles and jumped around in bouncy houses, while adults enjoyed refreshing piña coladas in plastic cups shaped like palm trees. Pink and blue mountains of cotton candy towered above the scene, and the throbbing beats of music permeated the Green.

Along the edge of the Green sat a line of stalls providing information about services like United Health Care and Planned Parenthood. Carmen Burgos, the development officer at The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, explained the overlap between the nonprofit organization and the Puerto Rican festival. Two staff members at The Community Foundation also volunteer with PRU (Puerto Ricans United), which organized the festival. ​“The Foundation is committed to having a presence and supporting our communities,” said Burgos. The stall at the Puerto Rican festival provided that presence and that support.

Burgos provided handouts with information about a free workshop on racial equality. The Groundwater Approach, a three-hour virtual presentation, invites participants to examine the role of racism in both past and present institutions. But while she delivered an important message about race, Burgos made sure to embrace the fun and festivities of the event. ​“It brings us together, it’s a sense of family, of belonging,” she said. ​“I am Puerto Rican. I am very proud of that. The festival shows we can celebrate that together.”

Salim Trevors brought something unexpected to his stand at the festival: a collection of mini-aquariums that housed turtles the size of an infant’s fist. ​“In the Puerto Rican culture they look to turtles to bring good luck to the home,” he explained. Several children orbited his stall with furtive looks, entranced by the aquatic creatures.

At the side of the Green closer to Temple Street, a collection of food trucks offered traditional Puerto Rican food like empanadas, potato balls, shish kebabs, chorizo, and more. Roman and Jen Urbina manned their food truck, Sol Taino, serving out cultural delicacies to a swiftly growing line of hungry customers. Jen Urbina uses original recipes from her grandmother that she has adapted over the years. The secret ingredient: ​“seasonings, how it’s cooked, and all the love.” Cooking provides a way for the Urbinas to feel closer to Puerto Rico and to their culture. ​“Being so far away, food is the key connection,” said Jen Urbina.

At the front of the Green near Elm Street, a large stage drew the majority of the audience’s attention. Speakers from the organizations funding the festival spoke to the crowd in a combination of Spanish and English, sharing information and services. Rafael Ramos of the New Haven Health Department spoke about the services the department provides. Another speaker announced the recently established direct flight from New Haven to Puerto Rico to thunderous applause.

U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal appeared on stage to practice his Spanish and share a few words of commemoration for the festival. ​“I am so proud that we have the biggest and best Puerto Rican community in the United States,” said Blumenthal. “¡Esta gente estaba mejor!”

Next, the Puerto Rican music and dance group Movimiento Cultural performed for the crowd. They focused on the bomba, a traditional form of music and dance with roots in African slavery that also represents the joy and energy of Puerto Rican culture.

The Puerto Rican Festival provided an opportunity for Puerto Ricans in New Haven to share their culture, find new friends in their community, and fly their flag high — literally. The Puerto Rican colors fluttered over the Green in a billowing display of pride and joy. In the words of one NBC representative, ​“Qué orgulloso que estaba aquí con ustedes. ¡Vive Puerto Rico!”