Fiesta del Sol Sizzles in Pilsen
Eduardo Caballero and Omar Bautista
Published: August 10, 2009
Fiesta del Sol Sizzles in PilsenOn a very warm and bright Friday afternoon the Fiesta del Sol is bustling with visitors walking up and down a strip of Cermak Road. The Pilsen festival kicked off last Thursday and will run until Sunday. For 37 years now the festival, run by the Pilsen Neighbors Community Council (PNCC), has invited people from the local neighborhood and surrounding neighborhoods to experience and celebrate the Latino culture in Pilsen. The festival is catered for people of all ages and more than perfect for families.
As you walk along the strip that stretched form Loomis Street to Morgan, you can’t help but vibe out and groove to the rhythms and beats of Latin music and the sounds of Chicago’s house music. There are live performances by local ‘bandas’ and groups. It is a great mix of traditional Mexican/Latin music and rock.
The air along the strip carries the rich aromas of Mexican food and barbeque dishes that people clearly are enjoying as they strolled down the festival. Also, there are recreational activities such as a basketball courts set up by The Resurrection Project that sparked many pick-up-games.
The festival has rides, games, food, and vendors selling goods, as well as booths set up to help serve the community like Alivio Medical Center, which provides free screenings for blood pressure and diabetes. There is a college fair to assist young Latino students in accessing free information on the college process, such as financial aid and scholarship information.
Overall it is a great place for a family outing and for the children to build memories of Fiesta del Sol that they can forever treasure. Fiesta del Sol has attracted millions throughout the years and will continue to create wonderful memories for generations to come.
Eduardo Caballero is a student at Harold Washington College.
Omar Bautista, a student at Richards High School, contributed to this account of an afternoon at Fiesta del Sol
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