Fiestas calle san sebastian puerto rico: Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastián

Posted by alexxlab
March 9, 2021
0 Comments

Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastián: The History Behind the Festival | by Local Guest

For many Puerto Ricans, the third week of January is still Christmas and it is exactly the point where all the holiday feasts get to an end. During that third weekend of January, takes place the traditional Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastián (Street Festival) which celebrates the saint and also a series of traditions in the old city. When in history was the moment these feasts became so important for Puerto Ricans? Let’s go back in time to understand a little bit of the context of these celebrations.

Rafaela Balladares, organizer of the celebration since the decade of the 70’s

During the decade of the 50’s, Father Juan Manuel Madrazo, the priest of the San José Church started to organize the festivities to commemorate the life of the saint and to raise money to repair the church. When the father was removed from the church, the festivities went into a hiatus until the 70’s. It was the historian and anthropologist Ricardo Alegría who proposed to Rafaela Balladares de Brito, a resident of the San Sebastián Street to revive the tradition.

Picture by Sonando en Puerto Rico

During the first years of the festival, it was common that at 6am they would play a reveille across the street to announce the celebration which included a tambourine, a drum, a clarinet, a trumpet and a trombone. People in the street decorated their balconies and artists worked on different paintings to be exposed during the celebrations. There was a procession with the image of the Saint on the street on which the Pleneros and the Cabezudos joined afterwards.

Cabezudos being part of the procession

Originally, the festivities only lasted during daytime and they were celebrated on two different weekends. For years, it was questioned if the feast was worth it. It wasn’t until the decade of the 90’s and 00’s when the festivity took another vibe and, beyond the religious importance, it became a massive festival.

The Festival is celebrated before January 20th, and that weekend, the whole city transform itself with the festival vibes. Many liquor brands offer special promotions during the festival and a musical line up is set in different stages around the city. Inside the Cuartel de Ballajá most artisans sell their stuff while in the streets, people sing different chants and dances along with the pleneros.

Most of its original traditions of the morning are still observed by the residents of Old San Juan, who participate in the procession that ends up in the San Juan Cathedral. The busiest times of the festival tend to be during the night time when most of the musical acts and celebrations take place.

Definitely, las Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastián is one of the biggest festivities in the island. If you are a lover of festivals and want to experience Carnivals in Rio, Venice or Mardi Gras, las Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastián should also be in your bucket list. During these days, Puerto Ricans offer their best party vibes that include most of our traditions like bomba and plena dancing around the streets. If you are a Salsa lover, there will be plenty of places where you can dance. Exploring the Old San Juan in the middle of these festivities will make of this experience a whole new different one.

Have you been to las Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastián? Tell us what was your favorite thing about it?

Las Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastían 2023

Las Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastián (San Sebastían Street Festival) is the street fair in beautiful Old San Juan that ends Puerto Rico’s Christmas season, the world’s longest.

It’s Puerto Rico’s most popular festival. Locals call it the SanSe. [It’s a little joke. Sanse is Puerto Rican slang for a West African faith based on forces of nature that is popular in the Caribbean. Trust me. It’s all good.]

Calle San Sebastían is a beautiful colonial street of bars and restaurants. The festival also includes a street fair of Puerto Rican artisans. The party spills over into La Perla, the beloved shanty town along the ocean just beyond the city’s walls.

La Factoría, one of the world’s 50 best bars, is on Calle San Sebastían. It is one of the best places to dance Salsa in San Juan.

Puerto Ricans come to the SanSe from all over the island and across the diaspora. It’s the time to be home. If the walls of the city could talk, there would be many wonderful stories to tell. It’s probably a good thing that walls don’t talk. 🥳🥳

Las Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastían 2023

The party should return Thu-Sun, Jan 12-15, 2023. [Thanks to Keisha for the typo correction!]

Las Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastían 2022

The City of San Juan officially cancelled the celebration because of the rise in the Covid Omicron variant. Las Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastían 2022 (San Sebastián Street Fair) was scheduled for Thu-Sun, Jan 13-16, 2022.

Las Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastían 2021

Friday-Monday, January 15-18, 2021 ~ It’s cancelled this year to keep everyone safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many Puerto Ricans are celebrating from home.

The diaspora in Fort Worth, Texas is hosting a virtual SanSe on Sunday, January 31, 2021 at sansefest.com

Las Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastían 2020

Las Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastián (SanSe) in 2020 (© Keith Widyolar/New York Latin Culture Magazine)

The Puerto Rican diaspora cried so much about the earthquakes in the southwest corner of the island, that even though the SanSe went on, the tourists didn’t come. The earthquakes only impacted parts of three or four counties in the southeast. There was no danger in San Juan, but the diaspora crying made tourists cancel their travel and hotel bookings. They didn’t spend any money in Puerto Rico.

The financial loss to all Puerto Ricans on the island was significant. It was a shame because many artisans rely on their sales from the SanSe to make it through the entire year. With good intentions, the diaspora killed it.

Please talk up the island, but don’t talk it down. You hurt us for no good reason.

Puerto Rico Has the World’s Longest Christmas Season

Christmas season starts in Puerto Rico on November 19, Discovery Day. Things build up past Christmas to Three Kings Day, the Latin gift-giving day.

The season continues with Las Octavitas, the octave of Three Kings. Octaves are a remnant of colonial Catholicism which celebrated festivals for eight days, not just one. Celebrating las Octavitas remains part of Puerto Rican identity.

Las Octavitas gets us to the SanSe. ¡WEPA!

Then we all go back to work, counting the days until next November.

Puerto Rico

¡WEPA!

San Sebastian Street Festival 2023 helps us say goodbye with joy

Home / North America / San Juan / San Sebastian Street Festival

Sometimes we just don’t want Christmas to end. The San Sebastian Street Festival helps us say goodbye for another year with joy. The event fills the old town with locals and visitors, so book your stay as early as possible.
San Sebastian Street Festival or “Fiesta de la Calle San Sebastian” is Puerto Rico’s largest festival and the unofficial end to the world’s longest holiday season.
During the many days of San Sebastian Street Festival celebrations, San Juan is filled with live music, impromptu dances on every corner and even circus performances!
By day, the squares and streets of the old town are filled with local artists and artisans who display and sell everything from paintings to handmade jewelry.
As soon as the sun goes down, the walled city hosts numerous concerts and parties, and the joyful fun continues until late at night.
About 500 artists and musicians entertain the crowd, and hundreds more dress up in costumes and masks to parade through the streets.
San Sebastian Street Parade
Sunday, January 16 – The parade with large traditional masks “Vegigantes” is the main highlight of the festival on San Sebastian Street.
350 local artisans who set up stalls on San Sebastian and other streets offer traditional handmade jewelry and delicious food. There are many dance performances by professionals and just passers-by.
Plaza del Quinto Centenario, Plaza de Armas, Plaza Colon and Plaza de La Barandilla have large stages with live concerts from 5:11 am to 11:00 pm.
Gay events in San Sebastian, San Juan
Go to gay parties in Condado, Old San Juan and Santurce. The Condado area is located in the heart of the city.
The Santurce area is the arts and nightlife center of San Juan. During the day, it’s a historic fruit market, and on weekend evenings, Santurce’s Plaza del Mercado square is full of restaurants and bars.
For a fun time with handsome men, head to SX or Temptation, both in Santurce.
Head to Scandalo for the most popular drag shows and weekend after hours (02:00 to 12:00).
History of the San Sebastian Festival
San Sebastian (Saint Sebastian) was killed for his faith, becoming a martyr, and there is a street in Old San Juan named after him. The San Sebastian Festival was first held in the 1950s and was organized by a church located on San Sebastian Street. K 19In the 1970s, it became one of the most massive events attracting hundreds of thousands of people.
If you are not staying in Old San Juan, plan to arrive as early as possible. Traffic in Old San Juan will be extremely heavy and slow due to the influx of festival goers and road closures.
Take a look at our San Juan Local Guide
Here are the hotels we recommend to have good reviews and keep you close to all the action in
O: Live Boutique Hotel, AC Marriott Hotel, Condado Ocean Club, Coca del Mar.

Save on hotels

Where you want to stay in Cabo Rojo
Book now and pay on arrival

Where we stay!

O: Live Boutique Hotel our
editors choice, great pool and stylish rooms.

Official website

For more information and advice on
Gay visit to Puerto Rico Website

San Juan gay map

Recommended Hotels in San Juan by booking

Book with confidence. Get the best rates from our partner Booking.com
We have selected hotels in San Juan that will put you close to all shops, restaurants and bars.

O: Live Boutique Hotel

5 Star, Suite

Booking.com

O: Live Boutique Hotel is located in the fashionable Condado area. It features Mediterranean décor and stylish suites. Free Wi-Fi and suites include luxurious hydromassage rain showers. Part of the world’s smaller luxury hotels. It features a rooftop terrace with an infinity pool overlooking the Condado Lagoon. The suites are equipped with a flat-screen cable TV and L’Occitane toiletries.

Check prices on Booking.com

AC Marriott Hotel

4 Star Readers’ Choice

Booking.com

AC by Marriott San Juan Condado is located in the Condado area of San Juan. It features a year-round outdoor pool and spa. own restaurant. All rooms are equipped with a flat-screen TV. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the property. Hotel amenities include AC Kitchen, AC Lounge restaurant, fitness center, unique rooftop bar and swimming pool.

Check prices on Booking.com

Condado Ocean Club

4 Star, excellent quality

Booking.com

Condado Ocean Club features a restaurant, outdoor pool, a fitness center and bar. 24-hour front desk and room service, free Wi-Fi. ATM, concierge service. All air-conditioned rooms at the hotel are equipped with a seating area, a flat-screen TV with cable channels, a safe and a private bathroom with a shower, bathrobes, a desk and a coffee machine.

Check prices on Booking.com

Coqui del Mar

3 stars, LGBTQ Hotel

Booking.com

Coqui del Mar – LGBTQ Hotel – Adults Only offers studios and fully furnished apartments with free Wi-Fi, communal, two pools and a hot tub. It is located just 400 meters from the beautiful Caribbean coast of San Juan. The studios at this guest house are brightly decorated and feature a flat-screen TV and a private bathroom with shower and toilet. The apartments have a fully equipped modern kitchen.

Check prices on Booking.com

San Sebastian Festival Video

Calle San Sebastian Holiday 2020

Latest Gay Travel News

– 4:33
The best fun Christmas markets and holiday events, from Santa Claus runs to fabulous Christmas markets.
Best Gay Halloween EventsThursday, September 22, 2022 – 8:01 AM
Get ready for a season of scary boys, sexy costumes and unforgettable parties from Austin to New Orleans and beyond with our guide to the best gay Halloween parties.
Gay Labor Day EventsTuesday, July 26, 2022 – 8:45 AM
Discover the best Gay Labor Day weekend parties and events in the US, from the beach towns of Ptown and Ogunquit to the streets of New Orleans .

Follow us on Facebook

Never miss an event again!

Name

Your e-mail *

Current events and articles

Get your party at the best festivals in Puerto Rico/Puerto Rico

Travelers rarely come to Puerto Rico and don’t stumble upon a festival. These energetic celebrations of local music, food and drink are deeply embedded in the island’s cultural fabric, celebrating everything from coffee making and exotic flowers to salsa dancing and local culture. In Puerto Rico, a lively fiesta happens almost everywhere and the locals love it..

San Sebastian Street Festival, Old San Juan

This legendary festival takes place along Old San Juan’s main artery, historic San Sebastian Street, an avenue home to several museums, including the centuries-old Casa Blanca (former home of Juan Ponce de Leon), church and square of San José 16th century San José. The festival is held every year during the third week of January, starting on Thursday and ending on Sunday, and is a bustling four-day conclusion to a very long Christmas season. During the day, the street is filled with folk characters and masked characters., bomb and Plena performances and dozens of artisans demonstrating their crafts. But as soon as the bright azure skies turn dark, the family crowd gives way to a young army of party-goers who swarm the street, dancing euphorically and singing well in the early morning hours.

Costumed revelers dance through the streets of Old San Juan during the San Sebastian holidays Bailey Freeman / Lonely Planet

Puerto Rico Saborea Festival, San Juan

A true foodie paradise, Saborea Puerto Rico (saboreapuertorico.com) brings together the best local and international chefs in what the festival is billed as a “culinary extravaganza” right in front of the ocean. The festival takes place on Escambron Beach in the month of May for four consecutive days and gives visitors full access to the dishes of more than thirty different chefs. Rum Puerto Rico, representing some of the largest rum producers on the island (including Bacardi and Don Q), stocks revered distilled spirits, while local chefs and Food Network celebrities put on demonstrations of high-octane dishes. And, of course, there’s a lot of music and dancing – this is Puerto Rico, after all. Full access tickets are available on the festival website.

Casals Festival, San Juan

Renowned cellist Pablo Casals founded this classical music festival in 1956 to provide an inspirational center for local and international musicians to collect and share their work. The festival is now a world-famous two-week event that attracts numerous high-level musicians to the island; it takes place at the Bell Arts Center in San Juan during February and March, and visitors can purchase tickets through the venue.

Flower Festival, Aibonito

Need a break from the hustle and bustle of San Juan? Locals flock to the breezy town of Aibonito in June and July for the colorful and fragrant flower festival that takes place deep in Puerto Rico’s central mountains. Popular local musicians play their folklore tunes to the audience while food vendors offer everything from local fried delicacies ( alcapurrias , bacalaitos , Rellenos ) and artisanal beers, fresh salads and natural juices. Due to the huge popularity of the event, you will probably have to park away from the festival area and walk around. The festival lasts ten full days and tickets can be purchased at the door..

Coffee Harvest Festival, Maricao

Maricao, one of the least populated cities on the island, welcomes over 175,000 visitors during the three days of coffee harvest celebrations. Known in Spanish as Fiesta del Acabe del Café and recognized as the most important cultural festival on the island, this event allows dozens of coffee producers and over 200 artisans to come together and share their products with visitors. The origins of the festival date back to the early twentieth century, when coffee plantation owners would toss a jamboree at the end of the harvest. The event prides itself on celebrating traditional fashion and jewelry, as well as a variety of coffee-infused products such as sauces and feta cheese. The festival is held every year during February for three days and can be reached after a wonderful rural trip to the heart of western Puerto Rico..

Puerto Rico Salsa Congress, San Juan

Salsa showcases everything that Puerto Rico is proud of: passionate, energetic and completely Latin. The Puerto Rico Salsa Congress celebrates the salsa tradition and more with an annual event that brings together the most talented salsa dancers and musicians in the world (facebook.com/Puerto-Rico-Salsa-Congress). Held in late July, the convention brings hundreds of foreign guests to San Juan, staying at the Caribe Hilton, Latin Roots Club and Restaurant (facebook.com/TheLatinRoots) and Plaza del Mercado-Santurce. The event aims to recreate the traditional salsa “bailouts” of past decades with the help of major stars such as El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico and Roberto Roena. Dancers can register on the Salsa Open website (salsaopen.org/puerto-rico) and regular tickets can be purchased through PR Tickets (venta.prticket.com)..

Hatillo Mask Festival, Hatillo

Every December, locals in the northern beach town of Hatillo don cloth masks and colorful costumes as they take to the streets in a kaleidoscopic parade (facebook.