Puerto Rican Day Festival returns to Bristol with everything the culture has to offer

For artist Esmeralda Aguiar, Saturday's Puerto Rican Day Festival in Bristol Borough was a way to interact with the community.

“Well it’s awesome, I like doing these types of events because it allows me to connect with the community in a way that I typically can’t.” Aguiar said.

Aguiar was one of the many contributors of Puerto Rican heritage at the 49th Annual Puerto Rican Day Festival in Bristol Borough. She displayed her and her daughter's artwork during an event with so many diverse faces.

The turnout was special for organizers, as it was the first time in two years the festival took place, due to complications from the pandemic.

Whether it was art, traditional food, music, or workshops, there was much to be offered at the festival that brought thousands of people to the Bristol Borough Wharf.

The festival is is held by the Puerto Rican Cultural Association of Bucks County, an organization dedicated to spreading the love of the Puerto Rican culture throughout the community.

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Every year it is held by the Puerto Rican Cultural Association of Bucks County, an organization dedicated to spreading the love of their culture throughout the community.

Against the backdrop of the boat dock and the glistening Delaware River, there was a variety of cultural tents in the park that offered many things to the public, such as arts and crafts, and Puerto Rican dishes. Workshops featured authors, cooking and dance lessons, children's activities, and information from the Bucks County Genealogy Society.

The festival began with Christian blessings, the Puerto Rican anthem "La Borinqueña" and the national anthem, and announcements from the president of the Puerto Rican Cultural Association of Bucks County, Nereida McCulley-Breustedt.

Many performers such as Hispanic disc jockeys, dancers, and bands from locations as far as New York provided entertainment.

In addition to the annual festival, the association also provides scholarships to high school seniors and others in the community.

McCulley-Breustedt said making her way into Philadelphia in 1955 at the age of 5, accompanied by her mother who couldn’t speak English at the time, motivated her to carry on her heritage and be an influencer wherever she can do so.

“This organization started almost 50 years ago, and has been carried on by different people throughout the way,” said McCulley-Breustedt. “Our whole purpose is to educate the public and get everyone involved. That's what it’s all about — growing up, our parents always taught us love, respect, honor, and giving back.”

The festival’s traditions date back far longer than it has been taking place in Bucks County. Traditions such as making Cabezudos, giant sculpted heads of loved ones in the community, date back centuries.

“The cabezudo is a tradition that comes from our festival that was celebrated in Old San Juan, but the tradition actually originates from 1500s Spain.” said Karen Rosado, chair of the cultural workshops during the festival.

In terms of the future, the association also wishes to expand into office spaces and increase its online presence; leaders currently work from their homes, according to McCulley-Breustedt.

“It means the world to me to be able to do this, because it’s so important that we help and love each other, that’s what the circle of life is all about,” she said.

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Bucks County Puerto Rican Day Festival returns to Bristol