What started as a small gathering under the 35th Street bridge in Milwaukee in 2013 has grown into the largest Puerto Rican Festival in Wisconsin. This year, for the first time, it will be held at the Summerfest grounds, Milwaukee’s iconic Henry Maier Festival Park.
“I hope that a lot of people come out and have fun. We have a lot of things lined up for that day. We are the biggest Puerto Rican festival in Wisconsin,” Yussef Morales, the founder of the Puerto Rican Festival of Wisconsin, tells Madison365. “I think [having it at] Summerfest will attract a lot more people, too. People just know that venue and they feel safe there. I think this year will really change things for us and take us to another level again.”
The annual Puerto Rican Festival of Wisconsin will be held Sunday, Sept. 21, 11 a.m.-7 p.m., for the first time at the world-famous Summerfest grounds. Thousands are expected to come from all over the state and nation, but the origins of the party are rather humble.
“That first year under the 35th Street bridge, we ended up having about 1,000 people. We only had one food vendor, which was Johanna’s Bakery, one of the big bakeries here in Milwaukee,” Morales remembers. “There were a lot of local bands that played for free. We had no stage or anything. We just had a small concrete slab, and communities came together. It was something really small, but it was a great thing.”
For the first nine years, the Puerto Rican Festival was free. The event would move to various parks in the city over the decade, including Humboldt Park, Jackson Park, and Veterans Park. “We kind of outgrew every park we were at,” Morales remembers. “Last year at Veterans’ Park, we could see that we were getting a lot of attention and we were getting a lot of people from Chicago and from Minnesota, and we have a couple of guests who flew in from Florida.
“As the Puerto Rican Festival got bigger, we also started kind of embracing more of the Milwaukee theme of the city of festivals,” says Morales, who has successfully founded and directed several prominent events and festivals in Milwaukee. “We just really wanted to be part of that family of Polish Fest and German Fest and Mexican Fiesta … all these big events that bring a lot of people to the city. I think those festivals are what make Milwaukee special.”
The 12th annual Puerto Rico Festival will have two stages, salsa dancing classes, traditional food, fresh-cooked frituras, interactive workshops, and fun family-friendly activities. Music and culture will be represented at the festival from all over Puerto Rico.
“The artists are pretty much all from Puerto Rico. We have two local bands. We got some old school music … some merengue and salsa and we have music for the younger kids, too,” Morales says. “We will have a lot of cultural stuff and a lot of dancing. We will have cooking classes at noon and four. They’re going to be doing Puerto Rican rice and certain things like that.
“The kids’ area will be loaded with stuff to do. We will have bouncy houses and games and crafts. We will have gaming and many different activities that we’re working on with the Milwaukee Museum and a couple of different organizations,” Morales adds.
And do not forget about the delicious Puerto Rican food — empanadillas, alcapurrias, pinchos, arroz con gandules, and more
“We will have nine Puerto Rican restaurants from all over. We have two from Chicago, two from Milwaukee, we have two coming from Florida, and then we have one from New York, and then there’s one from Lorraine, Ohio,” Morales says. “We will have 13 food vendors to choose from overall, so we have a big variety of food to pick from.”
Morales is originally from Carolina, a town on the northeastern coastal plain of Puerto Rico, immediately east of San Juan. He says that he came to Wisconsin when he was just 11 years old.
“I left Puerto Rico when I was young, but I have also been back a lot,” he says. “I went when Hurricane Maria hit [in 2017] and I volunteered for 30 days on a reunification team. That’s when I got to really see every single corner of the island, literally, like every town, every corner. And that’s when I was like, ‘Oh, I gotta take this festival to another level.’ It’s been a lot of work, and just trying to really make it a great festival here in Milwaukee, and keep it really cultured and keep it growing without it becoming too commercialized.
“Me and my family have really embraced Milwaukee, and I’m a hardcore Wisconsin sports guy…. A big Green Bay Packer fan. I don’t buy any hats unless it’s a Wisconsin team,” Morales adds. “So being the Wisconsin guys that we are, to be able to be at Summerfest this year is something really special for us.”
Speaking of the undefeated Packers, this year’s Puerto Rican Festival of Wisconsin clashes with the Packers/Browns game on Sunday. Will attendees be able to watch?
“Oh, we will have it on at the Johnsonville Stage area. My dad has already been asking me if we’ll have the game on,” Morales laughs. “They have plenty of TVs there.”
The 12th Annual Puerto Rican Festival of Wisconsin will go from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sept. 21, officially the last day of summer. Milwaukee’s iconic Henry Maier Festival Park is the city’s premier lakefront venue, which Morales says offers more space, easier access, and an even bigger celebration of Puerto Rican culture and heritage.
“We have a lot of culture, a lot of family-friendly things to do … And we don’t just celebrate the culture; we’re actually introducing all of our culture to a lot of our guests,” Morales says.
“I think that people will be surprised when they get there that our prices are cheap,” he adds. “Our parking is only 10 bucks [at] every single lot, even our beers are only $7, which is very little compared to most every big festival in Milwaukee. We want to keep it family-friendly and affordable.”
Henry Maier Festival Park is located on 200 N. Harbor Drive in downtown Milwaukee. For tickets to the 12th Annual Puerto Rican Festival of Wisconsin, click here.
