Special Events In Puerto Rico That Are Worth Seeing – Festivals, Carnivals & More
Join the natives in celebrating and experience island life! Puerto Rico has a festival waiting for you, whether you're a foodie, a music fan, or you just enjoy the holidays. To attend the festival of your dreams, make sure to schedule your vacation at the ideal time. Also, while you're there, take advantage of a tour to experience all that Puerto Rico events has to offer.
In Puerto Rico, there’s always something to celebrate! Find an annual Puerto Rico events or festival to attend while you are there if you want to experience the local culture and Boricua spirit.
There are a number of activities held all across the Island throughout the year, from street celebrations and cultural festivals to ancient customs. No matter where you are in Puerto Rico, there is always something entertaining or a Puerto Rico event going on; chances are you will find a town festival, carnival, or music show. In Puerto Rico, there are many different types of nightlife, from hopping hotel nightclubs to low-key beach bars to roadside chinchorros (food booths) that turn into energetic dance parties at night.
Condado, Calle Loza, and La Placita de Santurce, a traditional farmers market by day that transforms into San Juan’s hottest street party by night, complete with booming live music, fantastic restaurants, and late-night bars, are some of San Juan’s trendy nightlife districts with clubs, lounges, and rooftop bars that stay open late. Visit Distrito T-Mobile for a concert and beverages. And experience a more relaxed attitude in west coast communities like Ponce, Mayagüez, and Rincón, which are renowned for their welcoming surfer bars and sunset happy hours.
There is always somewhere to locate a party, have a drink, and experience Puerto Rico’s famed nightlife, regardless of which side of the island you are on.
Latest News & Events
Three Kings Day Puerto Rico
Table of Contents
It is the night before the Three Kings arrive. The air is filled with the joy and wonder of the occasion. The youngsters around the Island get ready to welcome the Wise Men into their homes as the cool, tropical evening breeze surges in.
Every January 5th, the children help their parents cut fresh grass, which is then placed in a shoebox under each child’s bed, under the Christmas tree (much like the cookies for Santa Claus), or in another inconspicuous location. When night falls, they hastily get into bed as the merry expectation of the Magi’s coming in the morning takes hold. Although the exact date is unknown, mythology claims it. Sometime after the kids have gone to sleep, Los Tres Reyes (the three kings) ride in on their camels.
They also leave gifts for the well-behaved kids, much like their red-suited, white-bearded northern counterparts did a few weeks before. But because Puerto Rico is a tropical paradise and doesn’t have any camels, the Magi ride horses instead. The lowly carriage stops for a snack on the grass that the kids kindly placed out for them as the wise men leave the gifts by the shoebox before mysteriously going on to the next house.
Families all around Puerto Rico awaken as soon as the rooster crows in the early morning to search for gifts for them. The Magi’s gifts, like those in the Bible, are given out of humility and kindness, which explains why they are frequently not even wrapped and are simply stacked next to the shoeboxes. In front of their family, they unwrap these gifts, and the customary Three Kings Day party gets underway.
This ancient custom, also known as Epiphany, is observed all throughout the world. Its cultural significance in Pu Puerto Rico events goes beyond its religious connotations. A trip to Puerto Rico during the holidays will demonstrate why Three Kings Day is one of the most important traditions of the season.
Casals Festivals
The most important classical Puerto Rico event music festival in the Caribbean is thought to be the Casals Festival. Pablo Casals, a renowned cellist, conductor, and composer, is honored at the festival.
The festival, which was established in 1957 by Pablo Casals, brings together musicians and artists from all over the world and attracts some of the biggest names in the business. The festival, which spans several weeks and is mostly held at the Luis A. Ferré Performing Arts Center, is devoted to preserving the memory of Pablo Casals’ legacy and career.
San Sebastian Street Festival
It goes without saying that Puerto Ricans know how to have a good time, especially during the Christmas season. It all adds up to one crazy party when you announce that there will be a parade, music, dancing, beverages, food, and local artist items for sale!
In a nutshell, that sums up the typical San Sebastián Street Festival (Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastián). Since 1970, a festival that began as a community fundraiser on Calle San Sebastián in Old San Juan has become THE festival to attend. This multi-day festival attracts a ton of locals and tourists. While the San Se Festival continues to be rich in history and Puerto Rican cultural heritage, it has changed over time.
Most of all, it is a huge party, and everyone is having a great time. Numerous thousands of people who are active in the entertainment industry attend. People who are fortunate enough to see the parade from above line the vibrant balconies along Calle San Sebastián and the rest of the route, cheering to the crowds below. Everyone else goes outside. Without the beads, it is essentially Puerto Rico’s version of Mardi Gras in New Orleans.
Saborea Puerto Rico
Pack your luggage and head to the Caribbean if a sandy beach and a fantastic meal are your ideas of a perfect holiday. The greatest food festival in the Caribbean, Saborea, will take place this weekend on the island of Puerto Rico.
A gourmet spectacle, this annual food festival pairs some of the island’s top chefs with well-known chefs from around the world. Along with wonderful culinary inventions with worldwide influences, traditional Puerto Rican cuisine is eaten in Puerto Rico today.
The festival will take place on April 21 and 22 at the well-known Escambrón Beach, just a few miles from the island’s ancient Old San Juan. More than 60 restaurants, wineries, and chefs from around the world will be featured. The greatest rum and coffee the island has to offer will also be made available to visitors. Saborea, which means “to enjoy” in Spanish, has only been around for three years, but it has already elevated Puerto Rico to the title of “Gastronomic Capital of the Caribbean,” according to the late American food critic Craig Claiborne.
The festival emphasizes the criollo cuisine of Puerto Rico, which combines Spanish, African, and indigenous Taino influences. Fusion cuisine at its foundation, sofrito is a fresh mixture of local herbs, garlic, onions, and sweet aji (peppers) that is incorporated to nearly every dish on this island.
Noche De San Juan
La Noche de San Juan, the eve of a celebration honoring the birth of Saint John the Baptist, is a tradition in Puerto Rico on June 23.
This Puerto Rico event, which takes place in Puerto Rico two days before the summer solstice, is unique among celebrations because it commemorates a beach holiday. According to custom, people take at least three backward dives at the stroke of midnight, though some take seven or twelve in an effort to purge life of all negativity.
Head to your favorite beach early to secure a prime location close to the water if you want to celebrate like a local. Join the celebrations at any of the hotels on the Island that host large parties to mark the occasion in order to avoid the crowded beaches.
Ponce Carnival
One of the island’s oldest customs is Carnaval Ponceo. The first week of March sees the start of this seven-day holiday, which concludes on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. With traditional bomba and plena music—two genres of percussion-driven music with African influences—this is one of the liveliest Carnival festivities in the entire world.
The vejigantes, costumed people wearing intricate papier-mâché demon masks, are a mainstay of the Ponce Puerto Rico Carnival. The atmosphere is rowdy and festive, with upbeat music, lots of dancing, and vibrant masks. The presence of King Momo and the crowning of the Carnival Queen are two additional customs.
The Burial of the Sardine, a spoof funeral procession that ushers in Lent, is the festival’s most distinctive Puerto Rico event. Drag queens and phony mourners carrying a dummy in a coffin lead the parade. Come to the island in time for the Ponce Carnival if this seems like the raucous entertainment you’re looking for!
KEY TAKEAWAYS ...🛪
Puerto Rico is a nation rich in enduring customs, traditions, culture, music, and cuisine, so there is plenty to celebrate there.
Join the natives in celebrating and experiencing island life! Puerto Rico has a festival waiting for you, whether you’re a foodie, a music fan, or you are just enjoying the holidays. To attend the festival of your dreams, make sure to schedule your vacation at the ideal time. Also, while you’re there, take advantage of a tour to experience all that Puerto Rico events have to offer.
