This year, they honored Loiza, Puerto Rico, a … Bomba dancing is the main attraction during Loíza’s festival of Santiago… Discover few ideas for exploring and enjoying the city. Where to Eat? The New Haven Puerto Rican Festival is underway in New Haven, and News 8 is there for the celebrations! Things to See and Do In Loiza. 2 talking about this. (The papier maiche vijigantes masks are from Ponce). Loiza is a town steeped in tradition. It has roots that combine Spanish culture and traditions with African culture, and meld them into a unique Puerto Rican experience. Puerto Rico. Festival Playa de Ponce in Ponce Fiestas Patronales de San Felipe Apostol in Arecibo - Every year, Arecibo celebrates a patron saint festival. It is a multi-day event that occurs around July 25, the feast day of Saint James. What to Do and See? Where to Stay? The festivities include dances, food, parades and religious processions. One of the most colorful examples of this would be the annual Saint James Festival in Loíza. Want to know what to see and do in Loiza? Festivals and Events. Other articles where Loíza is discussed: Latin American dance: Puerto Rico: The Loíza style of bomba has more African-based movements; the dancers employ isolations of the hip and shoulders (i.e., movement of those parts alone), flexible torsos, and greater use of improvised steps and body shifts. Raul Ayala is a member of the musical group Los Hermanos Ayala and a master artisan of vejigantes. June Events in Puerto Rico. The unique blend of African and Spanish Catholic traditions makes this festival one-of-a-kind. The Africans supplied the drum-heavy music of bomba y plena , while the Taíno contributed native elements to the most important part of the vejigante costume: the mask. Over time, the vejigante became a kind of folkloric demon, but in Puerto Rico, it took on a new dimension with the introduction of African and native Taíno cultural influence. The Annual Festival Santiago Apostol de Loiza a El Barrio Local Legacies Project Celebrating Community Roots: American Folklife Center, Library of Congress. The celebration that lasts several days occurs around the St. James Feast on July 25th. Oct 28, 2011 - Vejigante at the Fiesta de Santiago Apóstol (Saint James Festival) - Loiza, Puerto Rico Festivals in Puerto Rico are colorful and loud: live bands play, amusement park rides twirl, parades take over streets, and, of course, fried foods are enjoyed. Every July, the town of Loiza holds the Festival de Santiago Apóstol (Festival of Saint James, the Apostle). Among the festivals that encapsulate Boricua heritage and Loíza’s spiritual traditions are the Fiestas Patronales de Santiago Apóstol (Saint James Festival), the week-long July celebration that features the iconic vejigantes (bat-like caricatures with paper-mâché masks and vibrantly colored dresses) in parades and processions. Fiestas Patronales de San Jose in Camuy - Every year, Camuy celebrates a patron saint festival. During the festival the 'Vejigantes' dress up in costumes and use the masks ( made of coconuts) that are still made and sold in Loiza. Each festival is rooted in tradition, often Catholic in origin, starting mostly mid-week and lasting through the weekend. Apóstol ( festival of Saint James town of Loiza holds the festival de Santiago Apóstol ( of. 25, the Apostle ) starting mostly mid-week and lasting through the weekend Puerto Rico de Ponce in Ponce Patronales. Annual Saint James festival in Loíza El Barrio June Events in Puerto Rico Ponce Ponce! 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