Fiestas patronales de Ponce is an annual cultural celebration held 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, ...

Ponce, Puerto Rico Ponce (, , , ) is both a city and a municipality on the southern coast of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government. Ponce, Puerto Rico's most populated city outside the San Juan metropolitan area, was founded on 12 August 1 ...

. The celebration, which commonly lasts three days, takes place in late December. Ponce's Fiestas patronales are heavily influenced by

Spanish culture The culture of ''Spain'' is based on a variety of historical influences, primarily based on the culture of ancient Rome, Spain being a prominent part of the Greco-Roman world for centuries, the very name of Spain comes from the name that the Rom ...

and religion, and are a tradition held in honor of the city's

patron saint A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, or Eastern Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or perso ...

, the Virgen of Guadalupe. As such the celebration may be as old as the town itself (1692). The festivities usually include religious processions honoring its

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

heritage. However, elements of

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and local culture have been incorporated as well. They also feature parades, games, artisans, amusement rides, regional food, and live entertainment. It is attended mostly by people from the city of Ponce and its 18 surrounding barrios, but also people from all over Puerto Rico. The free event's attendance is estimated in the hundreds every day.

Contents and purpose

Fiestas patronales de Ponce is organized and held by the government of the municipality of Ponce. The cost of the event to the municipality is around $30,000. Fiestas patronales de Ponce aim to celebrate a cultural tradition while also strengthening family bonds, provide a venue to enhance community ties, and keep local traditions alive. They typically brings together over 100 artists, including some 10

music band A rock band or pop band is a small musical ensemble that performs rock music, pop music, or a related genre. A four-piece band is the most common configuration in rock and pop music. In the early years, the configuration was typically two guita ...

s, choreographed dancers, plus the thousands of locals who join in. This celebration has been described as a "townspeople feast." Besides music, dance and food, Fiestas patronales de Ponce also features

amusement rides Amusement rides, sometimes called carnival rides, are mechanical devices or structures that move people especially kids to create fun and enjoyment. Rides are often perceived by many as being scary or more dangerous than they actually are. This ...

artisan An artisan (from french: artisan, it, artigiano) is a skilled craft worker who makes or creates material objects partly or entirely by hand. These objects may be functional or strictly decorative, for example furniture, decorative art ...

s, cheerleaders, jugglers, and arts and crafts, among other attractions.

List of events

Fiestas patronales are usually preceded by the lighting of the downtown Ponce Christmas decorations and the Nativity scene at the

Ponce City Hall The Ponce City Hall ( es, Casa Alcaldía de Ponce) is a historic city hall in Ponce, Puerto Rico. It is located it the center of the city, on Calle Degetau, across from Plaza Degetau in the Ponce Historic Zone. The building serves as the seat ...

in early December. This kickoff event is frequently attended by the Mayor of Ponce.'' Ponce recibe la Navidad, celebra fiestas patronales y 'Las Mañanitas' ''
Hiram Santiago. El Vocero. 1 December 2016. This kickoff is also traditionally the unofficial precursor for the opening of Christmas-time season kiosk shops at Plaza Las Delicias, a tradition that has taken place since at least the middle of the 20th century. Fiestas patronales de Ponce usually start on a Friday. The following is the list of events for the 2019 Fiestas patronales, which are typical of the other years. Friday: :9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.: Victoria Sanabria: Trovando por tu salud con redes del Sureste :6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.: Ricardo Jesús y su orquesta :7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.: Academia Julie Mayoral :8:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.: Ballet Señorial :9:30 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.: Jíbara Banda :11:00 p.m. – 12:30 a.m.: Moncho Rivera Saturday: :5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.: Instituto de Música Juan Morel Campos :7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.: Catholic Mass :8:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.: Live to Dance Academy :9:30 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.: Raúl Armando “El Rau” :11:00 p.m. – 12:30 a.m.: Kevvo Sunday: :5:00 a.m.: Maratón de La Guadalupe :2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.: The Magnific Dragon :3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.: Payaso Remi :4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.: Catholic Mass :5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.: Centenaria Banda Municipal de Ponce :7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.: Catholic Mass :8:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.: Hermanos Sanabria :9:30 p.m. – 9:45 p.m.: Ballet Salsa Sur :10:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.:

La Sonora Ponceña La Sonora Ponceña is a Puerto Rican salsa band, founded in 1954 by Enrique "Quique" Lucca Caraballo. Today Quique's son, Papo Lucca, directs the band. The band has stayed active for a remarkable amount of time, recording dozens of albums, inclu ...

References

External links

* Ramon Marin. ''Las Fiestas Populares de Ponce.'' Editorial Universidad de Puerto Rico. 1994. {{Ponce, Puerto Rico, state=collapsed Carnivals in Puerto Rico Festivals in Ponce, Puerto Rico Patronal festivals in Puerto Rico

Contents and purpose

List of events

See also

References

External links