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.

Today at the Loisaida Festival

From the EVG inbox...

2:00 pm-6:00 pm / New Loisaida Center, 710 E 9th Street (just east of Avenue C) / Admission free

The Production of Nabe:
Loisaida’s land-use and environmental activism, past and present

Screenings: 3 vintage documentaries about Loisaida’s sweat-equity, community garden and environmental initiatives since the 1970’s.

“The Heart of Loisaida” by Marcie Reaven & Beni Matais

“11th Street Movement” by Stuart Leigh

“Umbrella House” by Catalina Santamaria

• Real-time Oral Histories: Historians interview old-time activists/players from Loisaida’s urban appropriation movement.
• Talk/Presentation: Contemporary land use issues, recent development and its environmental impacts in the LES by GOLES
• Debut of “Memorias de Loisaida”, a theatrical piece by artists in residence Papel Machete.

Here's the Festival website with more info. You can find the street festival and live music tomorrow on Avenue C from East Sixth Street to East 12th Street.

At the Loisaida Festival

Here are photos from yesterday's 26th annual Loisaida Festival on Avenue C...




[Top 3 photos by Bobby Williams]

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And a few Avenue C street scenes via EVG contributor James Maher...




















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And here's a video featuring an after-party on the Avenue...