Liverpool, N.Y. — On a sunny, warm Saturday afternoon, “Los Pleneros de la 100×35” brought a vibrant plena to Sharkey’s Bar and Grill, echoing stories of Puerto Rico with their instruments.
Diego Rivera, one of the youngest pleneros in the band, struck the pandero rippling through the hearts of attendees at the 5th annual Puerto Rican Festival.
Children twirled to the plena rhythm, couples tapped their feet on the floor dancing salsa, and families gathered around the dance floor, wearing hats with Puerto Rican flags.
Puerto Rican families gather at Sharkey’s Event Center
Piragua is a refreshing drink from the island, usually served by a piraguero, a person who shaves ice and serves it in a fruit-flavored ice cone.
Eddie Matos, a native Puerto Rican who moved to Rochester 38 years ago, considers himself the only Piraguero in Central New York. He recalls how many Puerto Ricans travel from Syracuse, Ithaca, Pennsylvania, and other states to enjoy an authentic piragua.
“It’s not about selling a piragua and making money, it’s about connecting with new friends and a new family,” Matos said.
Matos and his wife, Lucila Matos, built their life around a shared devotion to Puerto Rican heritage, blending ice and craft into a single heartbeat of culture.
“It’s about remembering our island, maintaining our culture and passion for it, because it’s being lost (cultural heritage),” Lucila said.
A gathering for all Syracuse residents
Puerto Ricans represent the second-largest Hispanic population in the United States, growing an average rate of 71% since 2000, according to the Pew Research Center. However, the festival brought people from all races and backgrounds.
Lisa Aboff describes herself as someone who grew up in a “very sheltered white community.”
Aboff remembered how embraced she felt from the start when she moved to Syracuse 12 years ago.
“They brought me in like I was one of their own,” Aboff said. “And it just got me through life.”
Aboff invited everyone to spend more time with the diverse Syracuse community.
“Latino community is just so welcoming in their culture,” she said. “They’re so thick in love with their culture that you just can’t help being inspired.”
Hall of Latino Celebrities of Central New York
The festival’s committee awards recognition each year to a Puerto Rican community member who paved the way for a new generation of Latinos and Hispanics in Syracuse.
A big round of applause and cheers welcomed Paquita Claudio to the stage, who became a 2025 Hall of Latino Celebrities of Central New York inductee.
“Happiness wouldn’t let me speak,” Claudio said.
Claudio made Syracuse her home in 1983 and alongside her late husband, Margaro DeJesús, opened the first Hispanic-owned grocery store on the city’s West Side called La Familia, festival organizers said. Together, they became pioneers in organizing cultural activities for the local Puerto Rican population.
She remembered the hundreds of Puerto Ricans who moved to Syracuse and today considered her a mother, grandmother, and family member.
“I tell my children and grandchildren that I have a ‘familión’ (large family) in Syracuse, we all know each other here,” Claudio said.
A new tradition at the Puerto Rican Festival
For the first time, the festival crowned a king, Jonuel Quiñones, adding a new tradition to its long-standing recognitions of naming only queens.
Jesus M. Rolón said Quiñones impressed the festival’s committee after a round of interviews and an essay evaluation. He will join an undergraduate program at Louisiana State University, aspiring to become a mechanical engineer and business owner.
He described Puerto Rican culture as “people-oriented,” with a strong emphasis on community, embracing and helping one another.
“If you’ve never interacted with Latinos in Syracuse, I think you should,” Quiñones said.
Salt City Salseras joined the celebration
A group of eight Salsa dancers set the stage with an energetic opening, capturing the attention of many festival attendees.
Emily Tibero founded the Salt City Salseras group last year to foster deeper connections within the dance community, particularly with other women, as social dancing often pairs people with male leads and limits opportunities to engage with fellow female dancers, she said.
Tibero visited Puerto Rico once, but her Puerto Rican best friend taught her about the culture and traditions related to the Island.
“What’s really special in Syracuse is we have this amazing Latin dance culture, and it really brings together people from all different communities,” Tibero said. “That’s how I got into salsa dancing through meeting this wonderful Latin dancing community.”
‘Latino Day’ at Spirit of Jubilee Park
The celebration will conclude at 4 p.m. Sunday at the Spirit of Jubilee Park with a Latino-themed showcase featuring local food vendors, live music, including a second round of Pleneros’ performance, and community engagement activities to enjoy with the family. Admission is free.
Festival organizer Jesús M. Rolón said the reason for celebrating the festival in different locations of the city was to foster a sense of community.
“We’re diverse, but we’re also one,” said Rolón. “I strongly believe in collaboration and bringing communities together.”
