Empanada Event

June 12th, 2021. By Marie Keele

Activities on Saturday, June 12 began at noon for a few of us. That’s when we started setting up burners, peeling potatoes, and filling wash bins for a fundraiser that was to start at 5 – and it took every bit of that time to get ready. The fundraiser was a kind of empanada party by youth and for youth to raise money for other youth programs this summer, including the art workshops that we are spending the summer planning and putting on. We sold empanadas, papas rellenas, surullitos, and fried plantains, all cooked up at the No Mas Lagrimas headquarters along the canal. I got to help out with all of it and learned a lot about Puerto Rican cooking in the process. 

Outside along the canal, Cesar Enciso DJ’ed Latin music until it was time for Ana Florencia Lopez Ullo to take the stage and play original live music. That, however, wasn’t all of the entertainment. Juan Manuel Aldape Muñoz brought along two mojigangas he had built. Visitors not only got to admire them, but also try them on and dance in these 11-foot paper mache and fabric puppets. 

Overall, while turn out for the event was not what we had wanted, it was a ton of fun and still a great way for everyone involved in projects this summer to get to know each other – and we learned a lot about hosting events. Specifically, just how important it is to advertise our events so that we have the kind of attendance we want. Very much still a great day.