MILWAUKEE — On Sunday, about 20,000 people are expected to attend the Puerto Rican Family Festival at Jackson Park.
This is the ninth year of the annual festival and the president of the event, Victor Huyke, said it’s grown over the years.
“Every time we’ve had to move to a different park was just because we got that much bigger and bigger,” said Huyke.
The festival will feature traditional music, have lots of activities, dancers cultural arts, and of course delicious Puerto Rican food.
“We even do it in a public park so people can bring their own picnic baskets but once they start smelling that Puerto Rican food, I tell you that picnic basket becomes tomorrow’s lunch,” said Huyke.
This will be the second year restaurant vendor Comiendo Rico LLC will be at the event. Samuel Velez with the restaurant said it’s a great opportunity for the business to reach out to new clients and spread the love of Puerto Rican food.
“In the first year we were nervous because we didn’t know what to expect and it was great we had a long line,” said Velez.
They will be selling everything from Puerto Rican rice, mofongo, and fried pork, to empanadas and smoothies. Velez said he wants people to leave with a smile on their faces after trying their food.
“The best food they try ever in Milwaukee! That’s our goal! We do our best,” said Velez.
The event is for everyone to celebrate culture, connect with each other, and feel a sense of family and togetherness.
“It’s just expressing our culture and letting the people know who we are,” said Huyke.
The festival is being put on by El Conquistador, a newspaper that’s been around for 24 years. Huyke said their goal is to get vital information out about events and things happening around Milwaukee to our Spanish-speaking community.
To learn more about the newspaper, click here.
Comiendo Rico is located at 2302 W Forest Home Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53215
