While President Obama is visiting Puerto Rico (who, by the way, is the the first sitting U.S. president to visit Puerto Rico in 50 years), the Puerto Ricans living in Chicago already started their Patron Saint festivities in the Humboldt Park neighborhood today. According to the Puerto Rican Parade Committee, this six-day festival is the largest Latin Music Festival in the Midwest. “Humboldt Park is Chicago’s area’s historic Puerto Rican center and home to the city’s third-largest concentration of Puerto Ricans. About 113,000 Chicago residents claim Puerto Rican descent, second only to New York” reports the Chicago Tribune.
Salsa and Bomba lovers will have the chance to dance to the music of many of the local bands and others such as Herman Olivera (ex-singer of Eddie Palmieri’s Orchestra) and two-time Grammy Award winners Spanish Harlem Orchestra. For a detailed schedule and a list of the musicians performing at this festival, click here. If you want to attend the parade on June 18, go to downtown Chicago at 12 noon, by Columbus Dr. & Balbo Dr. And If you decide to go to Humboldt Park after that, I would recommend going to Coco’s restaurant on 2723 West Division Street and try their Coconut martini. It may be too sweet for some, but for me it is just delicious! Do any of you have any other recommendations for things to do in Humboldt Park?
Chicago Urbanite 