The Festival Nacional de la Quenepa (English: National Genip Fruit Festival) is a cultural celebration that takes place every year in Ponce,

Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...

. The festival centers around the

genip ''Melicoccus bijugatus'' is a fruit-bearing tree in the soapberry family Sapindaceae, native or naturalized across the New World tropics including South and Central America, and parts of the Caribbean. Its stone-bearing fruits are edible. It is ...

fruit, the city's official fruit. The celebration lasts three days and takes place over a weekend (Friday through Sunday). It is generally held on the second weekend of August, but occasionally during a weekend in September. It is sponsored by the Oficina de Desarrollo Cultural (Office of Cultural Development) of the Ponce Municipal Government.

History

The festival is one of the newest in the Puerto Rico. It was started in 2008. It was proposed in January 2008 by Jorge Fernández Torres, a municipal government employee, to the Municipal Government, who accepted and adopted the idea. It takes place at

Plaza Las Delicias Plaza Las Delicias is the main plaza in the city of Ponce, Puerto Rico. The square is notable for its fountains and for the various monuments it contains. The historic Parque de Bombas and Ponce Cathedral buildings are located within the plaza, ...

, the city's central square. The festival takes place during August, but sometimes in September. The event has been held, at least once, at

Parque Ecológico Urbano The Parque Ecológico Urbano (English: Urban Ecological Park), also known as Parque Ecológico de Ponce, is a passive park in Ponce, Puerto Rico Ponce (, , , ) is both a city and a municipality on the southern coast of Puerto Rico. The city ...

. Four varieties of ''quenepas'' are grown in Puerto Rico, with one of them named after the city of Ponce. The city of Ponce is known as ''La Ciudad de las Quenepas'' (Genip City), not because of any quenepa farms, but because the fruit is so commonly grown in city residents' backyards.

Events

The festival includes arts and crafts, food,

folkloric Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging fro ...

music, games, and plenty of farmers market quenepas. It also includes a competition for the most unusual quenepa-based dish. All the activities of the festival center on the genip fruit. As such, much of the foods, from cakes to juices, are based genip fruit recipes. Likewise, crafts are made, displayed and sold that are based on the seed of the genip fruit. The Second annual Festival de la Quenepa included cakes, custards, juices, jellies, frappes, and rice with quenepas, among others. It is organized as a family event, with activities for children, such as games, and clowns.''Endulzada la fiesta de la quenepa: Ponce realiza festival que rinde tributo a este fruto.''
El Nuevo Dia. Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. 16 August 2009. Accessed 24 April 2018.

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Festival Nacional de la Quenepa Carnivals in Puerto Rico August events Food and drink festivals in Puerto Rico Annual events in Puerto Rico 2008 in Puerto Rico Festivals in Ponce, Puerto Rico Fairs in Puerto Rico 2008 establishments in Puerto Rico Cultural festivals in Puerto Rico

History

Events

See also

Notes

References