What to know about the La Feria del Barrio cultural festival: New events and more

On any given day, you’ll hear Latin music and rhythms along SEPTA route 47 in El Centro de Oro, but the neighborhood will turn up the volume when the 39th edition of Feria del Barrio kicks off next month.

Since 1979, cultural groups Taller Puertorriqueño, Asociación Puertorriqueños en Marcha , Congreso de Latinos Unidos, ACCSE, and Raises Culturales Latinoamericanas have joined forces to celebrate Latino culture in the heart of Philadelphia’s Latino community. This year is no exception.

On Sept. 10, the yellow serpentine paths along North Fifth Street, between Huntingdon and Somerset Streets, will transform with music, color, and flags of all stripes.

Attendees can enjoy the music, arts, crafts, and the culture of Colombia, Chile, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela. All events are free, and around 1,500 people are expected to attend.

The Inquirer spoke with Nasheli Ortiz González, executive director at Taller Puertorriqueño, about this year’s Feria del Barrio and the importance of having this event in El Centro de Oro.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

We can celebrate who we are with music, dancing, food, arts and crafts, and the spirit of the Latinx community. During Hispanic Heritage Month, it sometimes feels like we are used as a photo op, but we exist the whole year and we need our voices heard.

Events like this bring opportunities to artists and creates social engagement. Not only does this provide the sense of community we as migrants need, but it also generates commercial and economic activity within el barrio, the neighborhood.

It’s having people come to el barrio. There is only bad news coming out of here, and we are so much more than the violence you see on TV.

There is art in el barrio. We have Centro Musical, a space for the community to learn and make music every day. There is also Taller Puertorriqueño with free and low-cost art classes. We have wonderful murals and many artists working all the time to help the economic corridor.

Sometimes it feels like everyone has to go to Center City for cultural events, but we are also part of the city, so the city can move to us.

We want folks to feel like they are partying in the street back home. This year’s music performances are even more diverse including salsa, bachata, and traditional dances from other Latinx cultures. We are also opening a game truck for the first time, so children can experience an array of video games.

Taller Puertorriqueño will also have a table with information about our free and low-cost programming. Parents can sign up their kids for dance, music, or theater classes. Hopefully this year, we can have the first Bloque de Oro children’s choir for Christmas.

Yes, this year we have two food trucks: one with Dominican and Puerto Rican flavors, and an “El Sabor” food truck with Mexican food.

Although both are Latin American cuisines, there are differences. In Puerto Rico, we don’t eat spicy food, instead, we use sofrito — a combination of onion, herbs, pepper, and garlic. If you get a chance, try the alcapurrias, a Puerto Rican fried dough made with banana roots and pumpkin, and stuffed with seafood or beef.

For $15 to $20, people can have plenty to eat during La Feria del Barrio.

We have a volunteer sign-up form open until Sept. 1. Volunteers can choose their availability and preferred tasks, including helping set up for the event, assisting with registration and specific sections, or cleaning up. For more information, Erikka Goslin, Taller Puertorriqueño’s associate director, can help at 215-426-3311 or egoslin@tallerpr.org.

We are also hosting a party for volunteers on Sept. 8 to thank them for their support, provide uniforms and instructions, and kick off the weekend with food, drinks, and music.

All events are open to the public between 1 to 5 p.m. and don’t require tickets or RSVP.

🖼️ Arts and crafts: Walk along North Fifth Street, between Huntingdon and Somerset, to explore the 72 local vendors at Feria del Barrio. Their products are handmade or sourced directly from Latin America, including handbags, knitted clothing, accessories, home decoration, and candles.

🎨Art exhibitions: Indoors, Taller Puertorriqueño will let folks preview artist Patrick McGrath Muniz’s contemporary artwork and browse its selection of bilingual books. Outdoors, attendees can check out the cultural tent in front of Taller Puertorriqueño for traditional dance performances.

📘Information stands: You might be at Feria del Barrio for the party, but don’t miss out on available local services. Information stands can help folks navigate the foster care system, learn about parenting and mental health care, access LGBTQIA+ resources, and learn how to support refugees. This is also the place to go for free HIV rapid testing.

🥁Music: The rhythms of Latin America will play through the entire event. Bachata Chula is set to grace the stage with merengue and bachata. Los Bomberos de la Calle will present bomba. La Unica band and Orquesta Salsa Dura featuring Tino Serrano have salsa covered. Johnny Cruz will play a traditional Puerto Rican music genre called jíbara, and Viva Vallenato will add the Colombian touch with a vallenato performance.

🎮Video game truck: New this year, kids can play PS5 and Xbox games for free. The game catalog is to be announced.