Fun in the Sun at Fiesta del Sol
Pilsen Neighbors Community Council
Published: July 29, 2009
Fiesta del Sol at dusk: The fun doesn't stop when the sun goes down.
Norman Timonera
For the 37th time, Pilsen will host the best party of the summer, the Fiesta del Sol. For four days, Thursday July 30 to Sunday August 2, a stretch of Cermak Avenue between Loomis and Morgan will be turned into a concert hall, a book drive, an outdoor restaurant, a carnival, and a social stroll, all rolled into one.
Fiesta del Sol started off as a block party 37 years ago as a celebration for the formation of Benito Juarez High School, which families and community leaders pushed for. Since then, Fiesta del Sol has evolved into a nationally publicized event with attendance of over one million people every year. FDS is the largest event of its kind in the Midwest; celebrating the culture, music, art, food and rich history of Pilsen’s Mexican-American community—and it is alcohol and tobacco free.
Fiesta del Sol is an annual fundraiser organized by the Pilsen Neighbors Community Council (PNCC), a grassroots organization founded in 1954. Its organizing efforts focus on issues such as education, healthcare, housing and immigrant civil rights.
Starting with Scholarship
This year, the fiesta starts with an opening reception and scholarship award ceremony at the Arturo Velasquez West Side Technical Institute, hosted by PNCC. There will be live entertainment, an art auction and a traditional unveiling of the Fiesta del Sol commemorative poster.
PNNC will be awarding scholarships to 13 students from Pilsen, Little Village and the Southwest Side of Chicago—in the past, more than 500 students have received more than $790,000 dollars in scholarships. Scholarships sponsors are: State Farm Insurance, Midwest Generation, All Around Amusements, Hispanic Advertising Promotions and Coca-Cola Enterprises. The event will be at 2800 S. Western Ave. from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on July 30.
Arts and crafts help make the fiesta a great place to take kids.
Leo Loeza
Summer Stuff: Food, Music, Rides and Books
Every year, hundreds of thousands of fiesta-goers head home each day from FDR having eaten delicious traditional and contemporary Latin food from a wide variety of vendors, ridden on fun carnival rides, watched local sports tournaments, and looked at or tried out art, free health screenings, college fair, Migajon (cold porcelain) creations and much more.
Music is always a big part of Fiesta del Sol, with live Latin music and great DJ sets. This year, more than 40 bands will be playing, filling almost every minute the fiesta is open with music, including Las Indomables, Grupo Ardiente, Explocion De La Cumbia and Banda Potrillos.
For kids, the Arbitron Children’s Reading Corner features storytelling, book give-aways, and other fun reading activities. This year will mark PNCC’s 7th year in organizing a successful children’s book drive. The books (new and old) will be given away to children and teens during the festival. PNCC collected over 1,300 books last year from Pilsen community members and hopes to collect at least 2,000 this year.
“Story time” will begin Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Book giveaways will take place on Friday from 1 to 6 p.m. and on Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
A performer waits for his cue.
Norman Timonera
Stay Green
This year, for the first time, FDS is going green. Two dozen recycling bins will be placed along Cermak Road and will then be collected, sorted and weighed for a plastic bottle and can recycling project. Coca-Cola Enterprises, which has sponsored Fiesta del Sol for more than 30 years, will become the official Recycler of Fiesta del Sol, sponsoring Pilsen teens to gather and recycle plastic bottles and cans.
Add it all up, and Fiesta Del Sol is Pilsen’s summer jam. Come on out, and bring your camera! Send in your pictures to the Pilsen Portal and we’ll run a slideshow of the fun next week.
Hours:
Thursday, July 30th: 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Friday, July 31st and Saturday August 1st: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Sunday August 2nd : 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- [Home page photo by Irasema Gonzalez]
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