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Calendar
of Events and Holidays
Official
Holidays
January 1
New Year’s Day
January 6
Three Kings’ Day
January 13
Eugenio María de Hostos’s Birthday
January 20
Martin Luther King’s Birthday
February 17
Washington’s Birthday
March 22
Abolition of Slavery Day
April 18
Good Friday
April 21
José de Diego’s Birthday
May 26
Memorial Day
July 4
U.S. Independence Day
July 21
Luis Muñoz Rivera’s Birthday
July 25
Puerto Rico’s Constitution Day
July 27
José Celso Barbosa Day
September 1
Labor Day/Santiago Iglesias Pantín Day
October 12
Discovery of America Day/Hispanic Day
November 11
Armistice Day/Veterans’ Day
November 19
Puerto Rico’s Discovery Day
November 27
Thanksgiving Day
December 25
Christmas Day
Year-round Events
Le-Lo-Lai Program
San Juan and island-wide
The Puerto Rico Tourism Company’s Le-Lo-Lai Discount
Card encourages you to explore the cultural heritage
of Puerto Rico. As part of this program, musical
and folkloric shows are held weekly: they include
salsa dance classes and live music (Friday, from
8:00 to 11:00 p.m. at Sala Restaurant in Old San
Juan, 787-724-4797); Rosita & Mariano’s "Tropical
Salsa Revue" (Saturday, from 8:00 to 9:00
p.m. at the Wyndham El San Juan; "Nights
in Ponce" with young dancers Rumba Brava
y Sabor Latino (Saturday, from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.
at the Ponce Hilton); and "Joy, Rhythm and
Color" by the Areyto Folkoric Group (Sunday,
from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. at the Wyndham Old San
Juan). The card, available through hotel concierges
for $10.00, offers pre-paid phone minutes, entry
into the shows, and discounts on food and drink.
1-800-866-7827, 787-723-3132.
Festival La Casita
Old San Juan
This festival features lively tropical music and
folkloric dance shows (first Saturday of month,
beginning around 6:00 p.m.), sunset trio concerts
(every Sunday), children’s theater (third Sunday
of month, 4: 00 p.m.), and local craft displays
on weekends and Monday and Tuesday when cruise
ships are docked. Most events take place next
to La Casita Tourism Information Center and along
Paseo de la Princesa. All are open to the public.
787-722-1709.
Luis A. Ferré Center for the Performing
Arts
Santurce, San Juan
Largest performing arts facility in the Caribbean,
the Ferré Center hosts a variety of classical
and popular music concerts, operas, dance, and
theater. From September through May, the Puerto
Rico Symphony Orchestra offers concerts featuring
first-rate soloists, and Pro-Arte Musical brings
world-renowned performers to the island. 787-725-7334.
Art Exhibitions
San Juan and Ponce
A number of museums and galleries host periodic
exhibitions by local and international artists.
Among the most active centers are El Arsenal,
La Princesa Gallery, Museum of the Américas,
and San Juan Museum of Art and History in Old
San Juan; the new Museum of Puerto Rican Art and
the Museum of Contemporary Puerto Rican Art in
Santurce; and
the Ponce Museum of Art in Ponce.
Noches de Galerías
Old San Juan
Some 20 art galleries and museums in the old city
open their doors the first Tuesday of the month,
February through May and September through December,
from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. for the festive "gallery
nights."
Patron Saint and Other Town Festivals
Held in honor of the patron saints of island
towns and cities, the fiestas patronales are popular
annual festivities that take place in the town
squares and include processions, games, rides,
musical shows, and regional foods. In addition,
many of the island’s 78 municipalities have special
festivals featuring items of importance to the
towns, ranging from bobbin lace (mundillo) to
plantains. Contact the Puerto Rico Tourism Company
at La Casita Tourism Information Center in Old
San Juan (787-722-1709) for information about
current festivals.
Horseracing
Canóvanas
Races are held at El Comandante Racetrack, largest
in the Caribbean, from 2:45 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday,
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. A restaurant and
clubhouse form part of the facilities. 787-724-6060.
Auto Racing
Two speedways - The Salinas International
Speedway in the southern town of Salinas (1-787-747-0319,
1-787-824-0020) and Caribbean Raceway Park in
Carolina (787-768-3424, 787-768-3752) - offer
exciting auto racing in the tropics. Call for
schedules.
Botanical Garden
Río Piedras
Paths wind through a variety of tropical trees,
ferns, and flowers in the heart of the San Juan
metropolitan area. A bamboo promenade, palmetum,
lotus lagoon, orchid and sculpture gardens are
featured. The garden is open daily, special activities
are featured most weekends, and tours are available
by prior arrangement. 787-767-1710 (weekdays).
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