Head over to the 32nd annual Loisaida Festival on Avenue C this Sunday

The 32nd annual Loisaida Festival takes place this coming Sunday — always the day before Memorial Day — from noon to 5 p.m. on Avenue C (Sixth Street to 12th Street).

This year's main stage lineup includes old school Puerto Rican pleneros, experimental salsa, Cuban charanga, Afro-Cuban dance and a special musical performance from Puerto Rican theater troupe Y No Habia Luz.

Find the full lineup and schedule for the main stage at this link.

And here are more details via the EVG inbox...

The Festival historically kicks off each year with the Community Parade, a carnival through the streets of Loisaida that leaves from Dry Dock Park at 11 a.m. sharp. Batala NYC, the all-women, Afro Brazilian samba-reggae ensemble will be marching with us! A Community Pageant later closes the Loisaida Festival Theater Lab.

Artwork, costumes, and other props for the Parade and Pageant are created from recycled and found materials from the neighborhood.

The festival is rain or shine... as of now, Sunday's forecast calls for mostly sunny skies with a high of 88 (!!!).

At the 2018 Loisaida Festival Community Parade

EVG reader Brucie shared these photos from this morning... at the start of the 2018 Loisaida Festival Community Parade, which took place on parts of Avenue C and Avenue D. (You can read more about how the props for the parade came together here)...









The parade ended on Avenue C and 12th Street at the Loisaida Festival's Main Stage...



... and later...

The 31st annual Loisaida Festival is Sunday

This year's Loisaida Festival takes place from noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday (rain or no rain) in its usual place — along Avenue C from Sixth Street to 12th Street.

Here's more about this year's edition, via the EVG inbox...

This year’s Loisaida Festival aims to connect local community-based and led efforts in Loisaida’s recovery and resurgence post-Sandy, to the many grassroots and emergent leader efforts that have taken hold in Puerto Rico that have brought hope to communities and empowered local residents to unite and act on their own behalf. “Bridging Resurgence: From Sandy to Maria,” the 2018 Loisaida Festival theme, is also an urgent reminder of the continuing struggle of those still recovering from Hurricane Maria’s devastation of the Island. The Loisaida Center remains committed to the Island’s recovery as an affirmation of our neighborhood’s Puerto Rican heritage.

And here are some links to what you can expect to find ... on the main stage, hosted by Flaco Navaja and Jeannie Sol... at the Loisaida Festival Community Parade, which starts Sunday at 11 a.m. ... and read more about the Festival poster that Gustavo Castrodad created here.

Also on Sunday, four VIVA Loisaida Award honorees will be recognized. The recipients are Damaris Reyes, executive director of GOLES; Aixa Torres, president of the Alfred E. Smith Houses Tenant Association; the Rivera-Fargas family, whose mother, Adela Fargas, owner of Casa Adela, died in January; and Dr. Manuel Moran, founder and artistic director of the Society of Educational Arts (and founder of Teatro Sea at the Clemente).

A post shared by The Loisaida Festival (@loisaidafest) on May 21, 2018 at 12:05pm PDT

5 big events in May that you may or may not already know about

[Loisaida Festival photo by Stacie Joy]

May marks Lower East Side History Month, the annual celebration created by Fourth Arts Block and Downtown Art, with other local organizations and businesses taking part.

In addition to the activities (see the calendar here) associated with the History Month, here are a few more high-profile events this May...

• May 18-20 — Saint George Ukrainian Festival, Seventh Street. Details here.

• May 19 — Dance Parade and DanceFest, Astor Place, St. Mark's Place and Tompkins Square Park. Details here.

• May 25-27 — The Lower East Side Festival of the Arts, Theater for the New City, 155 First Ave. Details here.

• May 27 — Loisaida Festival, Avenue C. Details here.

The 31st annual Loisaida Festival is May 27

Finally a sign of spring... the Loisaida Center recently announced the 2018 date for its 31st annual Loisaida Festival... happening this year on May 27 in the usual place — Avenue C from Sixth Street to 12th Street.

Find more details here.

The 30th annual Loisaida Festival is Sunday

Via the EVG inbox...

Loisaida, Inc. is proud to announce the 30th Annual Loisaida Festival, Sunday, May 28, from 11 am to 5 pm along Loisaida Avenue (Avenue C) from 6th to 12th Street. This year the Festival celebrates three decades as the largest public open-air event in Lower Manhattan dedicated to preserving Puerto Rican and Latinx culture, deeply rooted in Loisaida — Spanglish for the Lower East Side.

The 30th Anniversary Festival, which will attract well over 15,000 visitors, is dedicated to The Spirit of the Immigrant and Migrant community and their unique contributions to the Lower East Side, New York City, and beyond. Marine-combat-vet-turned actor, singer, and activist, J.W. Cortes, will return this year as the Festival’s Host and Community Ambassador.

Salsa, Samba, Charanga, Mambo, and Rock and Roll will rule the Festival’s mainstage with a lineup that brings together a magic mix of established and rising Puerto Rican and Latin American artists. This year’s bombastic musical program will feature the Legendary Puerto Rican musician, composer and producer Fran’ Ferrer, founder of Puerto Rico 2010 and Descarga Boricua.

The lineup also includes, Rock and Roll Neoyorquino by Rubí, A Vibes Tribute to Tito Puente! and Cheo Feliciano courtesy of Supermambo – created by Grammy nominated Felipe Fournier; performances by Batalá, an all women Afro Brazilian Samba Reggae Percussion Band, and 70s Charanga music and dancing by Son del Monte.

The Festival will open at 11 am with a Carnival Parade, the result of a month-long intensive collaborative atelier on parade-making & Cabezudo techniques that Loisaida, Inc. commissioned engaging three masters in the arts of street theater — Pablo Varona, Daniel Polnau and Adam Ende — to kick-off the annual celebration.

As always the street-level experience will feature an array of vendors with delicious homemade ethnic cuisine, community organizations distributing critical health and wellness information. The Festival spotlights Healthy Living, Artisan and Eco Zones plus a fun roster of Kid Friendly activities and workshops by El Museo Del Barrio, Friends of the High Line and the Bio Bus, among others.

Find all the details here. Find photos from the 2016 Loisaida Festival here.

At the 29th annual Loisaida Festival

EVG contributor Stacie Joy stopped by the festival earlier today on Avenue C... and shared a few photos of the vendors, patrons and performers taking part in the annual Memorial Day weekend gathering...

The annual Loisaida Festival happens this Sunday on Avenue C

[Poster by Adrian Viajero Roman]

Via the EVG inbox...

This year, the Loisaida Festival returns with a lineup that pays homage to the organization’s original Puerto Rican roots.

The mainstage lineup reflects those roots, bringing together a mix of legendary and rising Puerto Rican stars. These include hip-hop singer DayLuv, songstress Maxine Ashley, Lower East Salsa, and Johnny Colón. Macha Colón y Los Okapi will be joining the stage courtesy of La Marqueta Retoña. The carnival procession and Theater Lab return, providing entertainment for children and their families. Puerto Rican icon and international entertainment phenomenon, Iris Chacon, will host the festivities alongside Marine-combat-vet-turned actor, singer/activist J.W. Cortes (from FOX's "Gotham”).

The Loisaida Festival 2016’s expanded offerings preview a new stage in Loisaida, Inc.’s plans to combine STEAM programming with social services that meet the needs of the local community. Some of the new offerings include a Grassroots Innovation Fair, discussions on how art and digital technologies intersect, an expanded Healthy Living Zone, with free dental screenings for children, and a new Sustainable Innovation Zone, which will include a Bio Bus.

You can find the main stage schedule here.

The Festival hours on Sunday are 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Avenue C, from Sixth Street to 12th Street.

There are more events on Saturday, including an exhibition of original artwork from Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez's best-selling debut comic book "Guardians of the Lower East Side." Find more details here.

This marks the festival's 29th year.

At the Loisaida Festival

The 28th Loisaida Festival was today on Avenue C... and EVG contributor Stacie Joy shared a few photos from the afternoon...


















[Host Luis Guzmán]

... and a few shots from EVG contributor James Maher...

The Loisaida Festival is this weekend

There's a lot going on this weekend related to the Loisaida Festival, now in its 28th year.

Here are some details via the Festival's Facebook page:

The Loisaida Festival has been celebrated on Sunday before Memorial Day since 1987.

Performing on the LoisaidaFest Main Stage: Calma Carmona, Chicano Batman, Papote Jimenez, Herencia De Plena, E.A.Flow, Capá Prieto & more...

Hosted by Luis Guzmán

Beyond the top-notch diverse musical line-up of our Main Stage, the Festival offers a Green Zone, Healthy Living Zone, Arts and Craft Zone, and rich culinary street-level experiences, our Theater Lab with an Itinerary for Kid Friendly Activities, the Loisaida Awards, and our celebratory Loisaida Fest Carnival Procession.

The Festival is the annual signature event of Loisaida Inc. Funds are raised to expand our non-profit, which recently secured a 51-year lease for its new Loisaida Center. All proceeds from the Loisaida Festival are used for the production of the same and for the operations of the Loisaida Center.

This year’s theme is “One neighborhood… and entire community.”

The Festival hours on Sunday are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Avenue C, from East Sixth Street to East 12th Street.

And head to the Festival's website for all the activities this weekend, including tonight — Performing Queer Latin@ Loisaida: A Cabaret.

Last night, EVG contributor Stacie Joy stopped by the Festival's opening reception at the Loisaida Center at 710 E. Ninth St., where several of the participating artists were on hand...




[Calma Carmona]


[Eury G. Orsini & Zuleira Soto Roman]


[Papote Jimenez & Edgardo Tomas Larregui]

The Loisaida Festival street fair is TODAY; big chair photos await

Day Three of the Loisaida Festival begins soon (depending on when you are read this) … it's the street fair component of the festival … on Avenue C between East Sixth Street and East 12th Street …

There is some of the usual street festival stuff… but this one also has more unique vendors …





… and yes! Gag holiday cards on the way!



Here are more details on what to expect today noon till 5:

Kid Zone — anchored at La Plaza Cultural Community Garden 9th Street & Ave C
Children and/or Puppet Theater, Storytelling, Arts & Crafts Workshops, Capoeira demos and more.

Green Zone — a designated block featuring environmental and civic organization offering hands-on learning on topics of environmental literacy, food waste & composting, neighborhood storm surge resiliency.

Exhibitors and Vendors
Will feature local Loisaida artists and NYC based Latin American artists, creative arts & crafts, clothing, community, civic and cultural organizations, housing and health services, domino tournament, sampling of diverse Latin American foods and staple Latino restaurants from the neighborhood.

You may head over to the official website for a list of the performers today and other details.