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The Institute of Puerto Rican Culture (ICP) has revealed the lineup for its annual Handicraft and Plastic Arts Fair as part of the San Sebastián Street Festival.
Events will commence this Thursday at the ICP headquarters and the inner courtyard of the Ballajá headquarters, both situated in the Ballajá Cultural District of Old San Juan. This latest fair edition will pay homage to the career of artisan Katherine Guzmán and will showcase a diverse program highlighting significant female participation, featuring performances from Fabiola Méndez, Fabiola Muñoz, Mahya Veray, Maribel Delgado, Machas Cabrías, Versos de Mujer, and Victoria Sanabria, among others.
“During the Handicraft and Plastic Arts Fair of the Puerto Rican Institute of Culture, a key part of the San Sebastián Street Festival tradition, we attract hundreds of thousands of Puerto Ricans and visitors from all over the globe eager to discover the creations of our artisans, craftswomen, and visual artists,” stated ICP Executive Director Carlos Ruiz. “Our fair is the core of the San Sebastián Street Festival, which has evolved from a modest religious observance into the largest cultural celebration in the Caribbean. We invite you to enjoy our varied program that reaffirms our dedication to Puerto Rican culture and customs, and this year, we anticipate remarkable female involvement in all aspects.”
Over 525 cultural resources will participate throughout the four-day event, including artisans, visual artists, entrepreneurial creatives, musical acts, and educational institutions. Attendees will experience not only crafts and visual arts but also musical performances, exhibitions, workshops, and activities tailored for children and youth, among other cultural experiences. A diverse musical offering will be showcased, featuring genres like bomba, plena, salsa, trova, rock, and popular Puerto Rican tunes at stages located at the ICP headquarters and the Ballajá Barracks in Old San Juan.
The fair will begin at noon on Thursday in the inner courtyard of the Ballajá Barracks. Performances will kick off at 1 p.m. with trova music by Ventana a la Cultura, followed by the Puerto Rico Police Bureau Band. At 3 p.m., the Plenerxs Meeting is scheduled, and at 4 p.m., the band and flag bearers from the University of Puerto Rico (UPR) Cayey Campus will take the stage. The day wraps up with a performance by renowned cuatrista and troubadour Irving Santiago at 5 p.m.
From Friday through Sunday, events will occur from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at both the ICP headquarters and the Ballajá Barracks. During this timeframe, the ICP headquarters will host Cine ICP, featuring special productions honored with Emmy Awards: “Up and Down: The History of the San Sebastián Street Festivals” (2024), “4th Plenazo from Trastalleres to Trastalleres” (2023), and “My San Juan with Hermes Croatto” (2021). Additionally, videos of “Promesas de Reyes” (2023), “Perfiles Artesanales” (2023), and “4th Plenazo from Trastalleres to Trastalleres” (2022) will be displayed. Visitors can also freely access the headquarters gallery to enjoy the exhibit “Ramón López: A Universe of Illuminations” as well as the “Retrospective Room: Poli/Graphics of Puerto Rico.”
On Friday, the musical activities at La Sede will commence at noon with singer-songwriter La Cotto. At 2:30 p.m., Jaimy’s Jibaro Collective will perform, followed by Julio César Sanabria at 4 p.m. Los Chinchillos del Caribe, celebrated for their blend of cumbia, rock, electronic, and reggae sounds, will conclude the day’s performances at 5 p.m.
Meanwhile, on the same day in the inner courtyard of the Ballajá Barracks, music will begin at 11 a.m. with the UPR Utuado Campus Choir. The festivities will continue at 12:30 p.m. featuring the Tuna of the UPR Río Piedras Campus, followed by the Marching Band of the UPR Humacao Campus at 1 p.m. Majestad Negra will take the stage at 3 p.m., and at 4:30 p.m., National Troubadour 2025 Guersom Báez will perform, wrapping up the day with music from Onda Moderna at 5:30 p.m.
On Saturday, a petate demonstration workshop is scheduled at the ICP headquarters at 11:30 a.m., succeeded by a Kamishibai workshop led by Circo Teatro Bandada at 12:30 p.m. The musical performances will commence with LuisGa Núñez and Sonoridad at 1:30 p.m., followed by a circus show by Chicle. At 2:30 p.m., Las Vecinas will stroll through the Ballajá neighborhood, and the petate demonstration workshop will be offered again at 3 p.m., followed by the Kamishibai show. The day will feature International Dub ambassadors at 3:30 p.m., Plenéalo at 4:30 p.m., concluding with the Circo group at 5:30 p.m.
On the same Saturday, the cultural festival will commence in the inner courtyard of the Cuartel de Ballajá.
