Aurora Puerto Rican Heritage Festival celebrates 50 years July 31
After a two-year hiatus, the Aurora Puerto Rican Cultural Council will celebrate its 50-year milestone of paying homage to Puerto Rican Heritage and Culture in Aurora with a one-day festival on Sunday, July 31.
The Aurora Puerto Rican Heritage Festival will be 1 to 9 p.m. in Water Street Square at 65 S. Water St. in downtown Aurora. Admission is free though donations are welcome.
The one-day festival will feature music, live performances, children's area, novelty vendors, beer garden, authentic Puerto Rican food vendors (among other cuisine), refreshing piña coladas and ice cream vendors.
In addition to entertainment and delicious food, this year the APRCC multicultural scholarship program will proudly award selected scholarship recipients on the main stage with over $15,000 in scholarships.
There will be music by DJ Tito Latino. The festival emcees will be Mike Oquendo and Flaco Navaja.
The music stage will open at 1:30 p.m. with Trovador Jovino Gonzalez, direct from Puerto Rico, and accompanied by Aurora's very own folk musicians Tony y Sus Campesinos
The Chicago-based Bachata Pura will perform at 3 p.m., followed by Aurora's own Impacto Boricua at 4:30 p.m.
La Obra will be opening for the headliner at 6 p.m.
Headliner Jhonny Vélez y Su Orquesta will perform a tribute to Elvis Crespo at 7:30 p.m. Vélez is a former vocalist with Grupo Mania.
Simply Destinee will have a children's area.
For more information on the upcoming festival and activities, contact Iris V. Miller, president, at (630) 430-4981, or email irisvmiller@gmail.com
The Aurora Puerto Rican Cultural Council is a 501(c)3 registered nonprofit organization, whose mission is to encourage and promote Puerto Rican heritage through cultural, ethnic, and civic activities designed to educate the Puerto Rican community and the community at large.