Elgin likes pina coladas at Boriqua Fest
Victor Borrero knows pina coladas.
He first sipped the coconut-based cocktail in his native Puerto Rico, where he grew up in a small farming town.
Borerro, who moved to the United States when he was 19, later traveled to other Caribbean islands in search of the perfect recipe.
At first, people said his pina coladas had too much coconut. Then, it was too much pineapple. But about three years ago, he created the perfect mix.
"It was hard," Borrero said. "It took me a couple years. When I got it, that's it."
For the past seven years, Borrero, who now lives in Chicago, has traveled to events throughout the Midwest selling his rum-free pina coladas to sun-weary festival goers.
On Saturday, he manned one of the booths at Elgin's 18th annual Boriqua Fest, hawking $5 pina coladas in plastic cups and a costlier version in a hollowed-out pineapple decorated with an umbrella.
"It took me a lot of time, but now I'm making money," Borrero said.
While many at Saturday's festival sampled or bought Borrero's pina coladas, some said they preferred the traditional variety - mixed with rum.
"No liquor? That sucks," said King DeLeon, a visiting Michigan resident who came to the festival for the first time with his friend, Mike Figueroa.
Figueroa, of Puerto Rican extraction, was born in Chicago but moved to Pontiac, Mich., when his father got a job at the town's General Motors plant.
"It's my first time here," Figueroa said. "I like it because we don't have that in Pontiac. They took it away. People weren't clicking."
Saturday's festival was scaled down because of the difficult economic climate, organizers said. The annual Puerto Rican parade was canceled and the event was moved from Festival Park to Civic Center Plaza.
Still, organizers said it was important to celebrate their culture and teach second- and third-generation Puerto Ricans about their roots.
"We want to continue celebrating our heritage and continue bringing our community together," said Johnny Placeres, president of the Puerto Rican Heritage Organization. "The parents come with their kids and say, 'Enjoy the food, the music and the people.'"