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This culturally vibrant, multiethnic and multiracial Latinx demographic, dispersed throughout Philadelphia (though richly concentrated in El Centro de Oro and North Philly), is representative of the 29 individual countries and constituent entities that make up Latin America.
In 2018, the census estimate for the city’s Latinx population was around 14.1% — a significant 1.8% increase since the official U.S. Census in 2010.
Philly offers plenty of opportunities throughout the entire year to honor, acknowledge and celebrate the many facets of Latinidad in Philly.
Residents and visitors can soak in the sights, sounds and smells of the Latinx community via parades, folkloric dance performances, brilliant traditional garments, comic books, salsa lessons, street tacos and more at public events hosted by organizations such as Taller Puertorriqueño, El Concilio and AfroTaíno Productions.
Read on for our complete guide to Latinx festivals and events not to miss in Philly in 2019.
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Led by famous local dance instructor Kevin Ngo, La NOCHE brings hot live bands, rhythms and moves from Latin America and the Caribbean to The Kimmel Center. Other than turning it up on the dance floor, guests at this once-a-month free music event can purchase food, beer and specialty cocktails.
Where: The Kimmel Center, 300 S. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA
May 17 – September 20 (select dates)
On select Friday evenings this spring and summer, visitors can relish in free dance lessons, social dancing and performances courtesy of Dance Republic, as they twirl, shimmy and turn with style and flair under the prismatic lights at Spruce Street Harbor Park.
Where: Spruce Street Harbor Park, 301 S. Columbus Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA
Although Brasileros speak Portuguese, they’re still Latin Americans! Produced by Project Capoeira and sponsored by the summerlong PECO Multicultural Series, Brazilian Day recognizes and promotes the legacy of Brazilian culture through martial arts, games, music, dance, food and merchandise.
Where: Great Plaza at Penn's Landing, 101 S. Columbus Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA
In existence since 1979, Feria del Barrio remains the largest and oldest Latinx festival held in North Philadelphia. Collaboratively organized by a coalition of community groups, the event honors the backgrounds, families and aspirations of North Philly’s Latino population with live Latin music and dancing, arts and crafts and cultural delicacies.
Where: North 5th Street between Cambria Street and Lehigh Avenue, Philadelphia, PA
To top off PECO’s Multicultural Series (which includes festivals that celebrate a bevy of different cultures heavily represented in Philadelphia) and kick off Hispanic Heritage Month, Mexico’s Independence Day, presented by the Mexican Cultural Center of Philadelphia, is observed with authentic food and live music from Mexican bands.
Now running for more than half a century, the annual Puerto Rican Day Parade is the city’s oldest and most well-attended event commemorating Puerto Rican heritage. Music, dancing, plenty of enormous Puerto Rican flags and impressive floats are all an integral part of the festivities while hundreds of local celebrities, performers and youth-focused organizations march up the picturesque and legendary Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
Where: Benjamin Franklin Parkway & North 22nd Street, Philadelphia, PA
Held on Columbus Day in an effort to center the conversation on the history and contributions of indigenous peoples in Philadelphia, Philadelphia Indigenous Peoples Day at Bartram’s Garden is a joyful afternoon dedicated to celebrating the culture of indigenous peoples from all of the Americas. Activities include canoeing, tours of the garden, and eating Mexican food.
Where: Bartram's Garden, 5400 Lindbergh Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA
The first Latinx comic book convention on the East Coast just so happens to take place every fall in the heart of North Philly’s El Centro de Oro. The event, which focuses on promoting the presence and history of Latinx, Afro-Caribbean and Iberian “Geek Culture” (which includes games, comic books, cosplay, literature, video games, films and fantasy horror), does so through a plethora of exhibitions, vendors, screenings and workshops.
Where: Taller Puertorriqueño, 2600 N. 5th Street, Philadelphia, PA
Select dates
Good weather calls for dancing bachata and salsa while enjoying one of the best views the city has to offer on the Rocky Steps outside the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Hosted by Philly Outdoor Bachata & Salsa, these outdoor events are free, family-friendly, open to couples and singles, and always include a free dance lesson to get all participants up to speed.
Where: Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, PA
Note: This event has been postponed and will be rescheduled for a later date. Those interested in the history and culinary traditions of maize will love the Blue Corn Lifestyle: Green & Organic Fest, which is centered around corn and its historic and economic importance in Mexico, both to uphold old indigenous practices and to sustain the modern-day Mexican Farmer lifestyle.
Through June 8, 2019
For more than forty years, the Lorenzo Homar Gallery has been one of the region’s only spaces that highlights Latinx art. Currently on view are works by Puerto Rican native and Philly resident Rafael Villamil, whose polychromatic exhibition, Paradise Has No Memory, encompasses the architect and self-taught artist’s works from 1957 through 2013.
As many as 15,000 people attend this colorful South Philadelphia pre-Cinco de Mayo procession, making it one of the city’s largest celebrations of Mexican culture and history. Carnavaleros, bands and vendors showcase Mexican folk traditions through live music and street fare.
Where: Washington Avenue from 16th Street to 4th Street, Philadelphia, PA
Consulmex Filadelfia and Mexican Cultural Center Philadelphia host a week full of activities dedicated to both commemorating and discovering Mexican culture, including a flag raising ceremony at City Hall, a documentary film screening and a “pre-Hispanic” culinary experience.
Where: Various locations including Philadelphia City Hall, 1400 John F. Kennedy Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA
Indulge in the distinctive flavors and spices of authentic Mexican cuisine at select Delaware Valley restaurants offering discounted, special menus during this week. Eight of the ten participating restaurants are located within Philadelphia proper.
Where: Various locations including El Rey, 2013 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA
Dancing its way into its ninth year, this multi-day tango festival (which takes place on Memorial Day Weekend), offers a myriad of technique workshops for all experience levels and breathtaking performances inside of a 5,500-square-foot ballroom tucked in Port Richmond. Tipica Messiez, the most popular tango orchestra in North America, provides the tunes.
Where: Lithuanian Music Hall Association, 2715 E. Allegheny Avenue, Philadelphia, PA
Established in 2012, the Philadelphia Latino Film Festival remains the only festival in the region dedicated to exclusively showcasing the talents of emerging and established Latinx filmmakers, actors and producers. Film buffs of all ages can enjoy a diverse repertoire of screenings throughout the four-day period, as well as workshops and mixers.
Where: Caplan Center for the Performing Arts at University of the Arts, 211 S. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA
Held along the Delaware River waterfront at the Great Plaza at Penn’s Landing, the Hispanic Fiesta is a two-day celebratory extravaganza that draws in nearly 40,000 people to savor live entertainment, authentic ethnic foods and artisan crafts from nearly all the Latin American countries and constituent entities.
This alternative and contemporary music festival, presented by AfroTaino Productions and WXPN, celebrates the new sounds of Latin America and turns up the heat with jovial sounds from popular artists summer after summer. The 2019 edition heads to World Cafe Live with eight performers, including The Beachers, Kevin Johansen, Lady HD and more.
Where: World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA
A jam-packed day of family-friendly fun awaits at this free eight-hour fest on the Delaware River waterfront celebrating all people of the Caribbean. Proceeds from the event, derived from raffle tickets, souvenirs and the sale of vending spaces, are used for charitable undertakings like awarding scholarships and assisting in hurricane relief.
The Visit Philly Overnight Package — booked more than 190,000 times since 2001 — comes with free hotel parking (worth up to $100 in Center City Philadelphia) and overnight hotel accommodations.
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