Posted on 09/07/2021 7:03:26 AM PDT by cll
The wait is over. Everything is ready to start this week the activities to celebrate the 500 years of the founding of San Juan - events that are projected will have economic, educational, and cultural implications in the capital city, while seeking to promote unity of purpose and brotherhood among the Puerto Rican people.
The announcement was made on Sunday, at the emblematic Alejandro Tapia y Rivera Theater, which is undoubtedly an architectural and historical gem that is part of the cultural wealth of San Juan. The press conference was led by Mayor Miguel Romero and multiple artists participated.
The event began with a special message from Gov. Pedro Pierluisi, which was projected on a giant screen on the theater stage. In it, the governor urged all citizens to participate in the activities.
"Today (yesterday) the beginning of a very special celebration for each and every resident of San Juan and Puerto Rico is announced: the celebration of the 500 years of the founding of our capital city. Recently, we established in the executive order a greater participation of the municipality of San Juan in the special commission to commemorate the 500 years of existence of San Juan de Puerto Rico," he stated.
Pierluisi added that this celebration that will take place next week, with various activities, artistic and cultural events, will continue throughout the year and will give San Juan and Puerto Rico the opportunity to offer "a look at our past and, at the same time, promote the island's development through our tourism, business, artistic, and gastronomic offers."
Diverse Agenda
After the recorded message, the mayor of San Juan gave way to the announcement about part of the events and activities that guests and the general public will be able to enjoy during the celebration of the fifth centenary of San Juan. The celebration will have a varied agenda that includes historical exhibitions, cultural events, music, and artistic presentations.
"We are pleased to be able to share with citizens the events that we already have on the agenda and that are being added to the celebration of the 500 years of our capital city. We are counting on the collaboration and contribution of various sectors of Puerto Rican culture, so we are very excited to see this event taking shape," Romero said.
The opening day will be Thursday, September 9 with the exhibitions 'Image, Art and Devotion: San Juan 500 Years' and 'The City in Time: Five Centuries of Artistic Representation of San Juan' in the Museum of San Juan.
"These activities mark only the beginning of the celebrations to commemorate the 500 years of the founding of San Juan and will serve as a prelude to cultural and traditional events that we will be carrying out during the coming months and until next year, among which is the celebration of the longest Christmas in the world, just as we know how to do it in Puerto Rico," the mayor affirmed.
"The new year's reception party, on Jan. 1, 2022, the traditional San Sebastián Street Festivities, and the culmination of next year's celebrations during the summer of a world-class fifth centenary regatta that will close the festivities. All these events [are] framed in the celebration of our history of the fifth centenary," he added.
Economic Development Forum
The celebration of the fifth centenary will feature on Monday, Sept. 13 the San Juan Economic Development Forum at the Sheraton Hotel Convention Center. Activities will include historical and educational lectures, documentaries, Christmas lights, musical events, exhibitions, parties, and illustrated workshops.
Romero pointed out that part of the events of 2022 include the longest Christmas in Puerto Rico, the welcome to 2022 and the traditional San Sebastián Street Festivities, among other events, until concluding with a great regatta that will take place in Old San Juan.
"The entire range of events will be an effective instrument to promote Puerto Rico and San Juan as a destination, a tourist destination at a time when our high tourism season begins, as I mentioned, and while other destinations around the world continue with restrictions or lack the weather with which our island is blessed," he asserted.
The mayor said that the celebration of the 500 years of the founding of San Juan is a wise, timely and profitable investment, which will reportedly result in an immense profit for the capital city, giving it a unique global projection and exposure platform for the next 10 months.
"We envision that all the joy and effervescence that will surround this great event will positively affect the tourism industry, hotel occupancy, small and medium-sized merchants, artisans, the gastronomic industry, and -of course- the local economy of our city, which will benefit from the expansive work that will generate the effort and investment that -together with the private sector- will be made to move our economy towards positive terrain," he stated.
Cultural Activities
The inauguration of the 'Route of the 500 Years' will take place on Friday, Sept. 10, while on Saturday, Sept. 11, cultural activities will take place in the different squares of Old San Juan. The musical event that night will be in charge of Tata Cepeda and Tamboricua.
On the 11th, an Juan will host the XXVIII Meeting of Mayors of Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean of the Union of Capital Cities of Iberian America (UCCI). In it, the new regional president will be chosen and the agreements and the roadmap that will direct the common aspirations of the region's capital cities will be presented.
Meanwhile, on Sunday, Sept. 12, the Holy Mass of the 500 Years of the Foundation of San Juan Bautista will be celebrated in the Cathedral of Old San Juan, as well as the protocol acts and the Parade and Carnival of the 500 Years of History.
Sunday's artistic performances include Carlos Vives, Andy Montañez, Nydia Caro, Danny Rivera, Glenn Monroig, Milly Quezada, Alberto Carrión, Orquesta Cucco Peña, José Juan Tañón, Victoria Sanabria, Caribbean Tenors, Ballets de San Juan, Gíbaro de Puerto Rico, among others.
"Shared this information with our people because the commemoration of the five centuries of San Juan, more than a party, will be the element that will oil the economic gear of our island. It is the preamble to what we hope will be a more normal and successful tourist season in Puerto Rico, which begins as we all know in the months of November to April of each year," Romero added.
I love San Juan...
If you have a National Parks card, the forts in SJ are part of the NP...
500 Years of bad government is nothing to celebrate.
I think Spain pulled a fast one on us........................
That’s 405 years under the Spanish Crown, during which they built a magnificent city, then a decade or so of U.S. military governments, then a couple of decades ruled by the fruit companies, then a military bastion during WWII, and after that local self-rule began. So technically, 70 years of on and off mismanagement.
Happy 500th Birthday San Juan! (You don’t look a day over 250.)
FUN FACT: San Juan was originally named “Puerto Rico” (makes sense) and Puerto Rico was originally named “San Juan.” At some point, they switched names.
Speaking of San Juan:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_San_Juan_(CL-54)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_San_Juan_(SSN-751)
You must be Navy, then. Thank you for your service...and getting serviced there!
A place where the beer flows like wine. Where beautiful women instinctively flock like the salmon of Capistrano.
The plantation was profitable until American law supplanted Spanish law and the plantation ceased to have unlimited right to the water in a stream flowing though its grounds.
That’s swallows...
There’s a party-pooper in every crowd.
I should have used quotations. Dumb and Dumber reference.
Navy submariner
It was my privilege to serve but I appreciate the intent.
As we set to sea again I was well tired.
That about captures it.
Happy Birthday Puerto Rico!
Sounds like you’re putting on your dancing shoes and best “Do Me” dress and strutting your stuff!
Not bad for a lady your age.
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