Brentwood’s bustling Suffolk Avenue was alive this past Sunday when the community gathered to dance and bob their heads to the rhythms of jazz, mariachi, salsa beats, and even the The Beatles at the 2013 Brentwood Cultural Street Festival.
“It’s great to be here,” said Ruperto Cruz, a native Puerto Rican. “ The event is well thought-out and the music is really good, you can tell everybody is having a good time,” he said.
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The free-admission, family-friendly festival coincided with National Hispanic Heritage Month, a time when Long Island communities join the rest of the country in celebrating Latino culture and history.
Apart from the main stage, which featured ensembles like The Liverpool Shuffle, Papo Vazquez Pirates Troubadors, Conjunto Sabori, Mariachi Cuscatlan and El Teatro Rodante Hispanico, attendees could browse through the different art stands and enjoy the work of local artists, get on their knees and draw on a street mural, learn about the services and products provided by the different sponsors and vendors or just enjoy a good old “raspao,” a hand-shaved ice with fruity syrup on top.
Click here for event photos.
“The idea is to create a cultural space that is public; a place where people can gather and meet and share through the different arts, no matter where they’re from,” said Margarita Espada, founder of Teatro Experimental Yerbabruja and the event’s main organizer.
A goal that was certainly achieved according to Jorge Guzman, artist and director of Ikarus Gallery Cultural Program, and one of the organizations present at the event.
“As a multicultural group from different nationalities, this event is perfect to show our work, which is why we have been coming for years and we will continue to do so,” he said.
