Yauco, the town of coffee, marks 268 years since its founding with the Festival Nacional del Café, which opens this Sunday, Feb. 25, and runs through next Sunday, March 3, in its 49th edition.
Eight days of coffee aromas, culture, tradition, music, crafts, dance, parades, food and entertainment for all ages. Here are all the details.
🌳 Starting in the field
Activities begin this Sunday with the event El Festival del Café Inicia en el Campo, to be held at the Parque de Pelota Adán Recio in the Cacique sector of Barrio Susúa.
Events on this first day include a cockfighting fair, a dominoes tournament and crafts. There will also be traditional food vendors and live music.
🎊 Cultural events
Monday, Feb. 26, will begin in the early morning hours with a diana through the historic downtown, led by the Banda Escolar de Yauco. That afternoon and on Tuesday, Feb. 27, activities will take place at the YAUCOOP facilities, where the official event poster will be unveiled and the book El Fantasma de la Taza de Oro will be presented.
Starting Wednesday, Feb. 28, events will be held at the Plaza Fernando Pacheco de Matos. That day at 6:00 p.m., the Noche de Danza will begin in collaboration with the Fraternidad Alpha Beta Chi.
🎂 Celebrating 268 years
The official celebration of Yauco's 268th anniversary will take place Thursday, Feb. 29. Afternoon activities include the awards ceremony for the Certamen de Literatura y Pintura, the crowning of queens, and stage performances by Milton Alicea & Compañía Jíbara and Grupo Típico Sazón Criollo.
🫶 Children's Day
Children will take center stage on Friday, March 1, during the Día del Niño celebration, which will begin with a performance by the Niños Trovadores de Yauco at 10:00 a.m.
That night at 8:00, a tribute will be held for Orden del Cafetal honorees Sr. Jonathan "Pito" Hernández León and Gran Comendador Sr. Ruberson Miranda Santiago.
🎨 Crafts Fair
In addition to opening day, artisans will gather to display and sell their work on Friday, March 1, Saturday, March 2, and Sunday, March 3.
On Friday, the crafts fair opens at 2:00 p.m.; on Saturday at 11:00 a.m.; and on Sunday at 10:00 a.m.
🎶 Performance Schedule
The festival will feature groups and artists performing on the stage at the Plaza Fernando Pacheco de Matos. Here is the lineup by day.
Friday, March 1 – from 5:00 p.m.
Ballet Folclórico Agüeybaná, Monin & Trío Fraticelli, Orquesta Son Nueve and Orquesta Corporación Latina.
Saturday, March 2 – from 12:00 noon
Bomba con trovadores Taller Palenque, Grupo Jacará, Grupo Maestro, Águilas Yaucanas (ESOTY), Saborinquen, Odilio González, Cuarteto de Bomba, Peter Torres & su Nueva Trova and La Secta All Star.
Sunday, March 3 – Closing at 8:30 p.m. with Grupo Atabal.
☕️ Coffee Parade
Sunday, March 3, will begin with the De la Finca a la Casa coffee tour and a jíbaro mass at the Parroquia Nuestra Señora del Santísimo Rosario.
At noon, the El Café conversation will be held as a prelude to the Desfile del Café, which begins at 1:00 p.m. departing from the Coliseo de Yauco. The traditional procession will feature floats, comparsas (costumed carnival troupes) and yaucano scenes presented by communities, dance groups and musical ensembles.
🎤 Trovador Competition
One of the hallmarks of this cultural celebration is the Concurso de Trovadores José Ángel Ortiz "El Jíbaro de Yauco," which will take place Sunday, March 3, at 5:00 p.m.
The competition will be moderated by Julio César Sanabria and will award prizes to the top 8 finishers, ranging from $200 to $1,500.
Nuestro festival: esencia, sabor, aroma y cultura
That is the motto of this large town festival, which carries many years of tradition. Are you planning to attend? We recommend wearing comfortable clothes, protecting yourself from the sun, and arriving hungry so you can make the most of the food, the coffee, and the chance to support local businesses.
This content was translated with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
