Festival Nacional de la Quenepa

The Festival Nacional de la Quenepa (English: National Genip Fruit Festival) is a cultural celebration that takes place every year in Ponce, Puerto Rico.[2] The festival centers around the genip fruit, the city's official fruit.[3] The celebration lasts three days and takes place over a weekend (Friday through Sunday). It is generally held on the second weekend of August, but occasionally during a weekend in September. It is sponsored by the Oficina de Desarrollo Cultural[4] (Office of Cultural Development) of the Ponce Municipal Government.[5]

Festival Nacional de la Quenepa
Promotional poster for the 2010 Festival Nacional de la Quenepa
Official nameFestival Nacional de la Quenepa
Also calledFestival de la Quenepa
Observed byPuerto Ricans in Ponce, Puerto Rico
TypeLocal, cultural
SignificanceThe city's official fruit
CelebrationsMusic, dancing, crafts, food
ObservancesYearly
DateSecond weekend in August
2020 date11-13 Sept (Est.)
FrequencyAnnual
First time2008[1]
Related toGenip fruit

History
The juicy Quenepa fruit after which the traditional festival is held

The festival is one of the newest in the Western Hemisphere. It was started in 2008.[6] It was proposed in January 2008 by Jorge Fernández Torres, a municipal government employee, to the Municipal Government, who accepted and adopted the idea.[7]

It takes place at Plaza Las Delicias, the city's central square. The festival takes place during August, but sometimes in September.[8] The event has been held, at least once, at Parque Ecológico Urbano.[9] Four varieties of quenepas are grown in Puerto Rico, with one of them named after the city of Ponce.[10] The city of Ponce is known as La Ciudad de las Quenepas (Genip City), not because of any quenepa farms, but because the fruit is so commonly grown in city residents' backyards.[11]

Events

The festival includes arts and crafts, food, folkloric music, games, and plenty of farmers market quenepas.[12] It also includes a competition for the most unusual quenepa-based dish.[13] All the activities of the festival center on the genip fruit. As such, much of the foods, from cakes to juices, are based genip fruit recipes. Likewise, crafts are made, displayed and sold that are based on the seed of the genip fruit.[14] The Second annual Festival de la Quenepa included cakes, custards, juices, jellies, frappes, and rice with quenepas, among others.[15] It is organized as a family event, with activities for children, such as games, and clowns.[16]

See also

Notes

    References
    1. Endulzada la fiesta de la quenepa: Ponce realiza festival que rinde tributo a este fruto. El Nuevo Dia. 16 August 2009. Accessed 5 March 2020.
    2. Celebra Ponce a su mimada quenepa. Ana María Rolón Romero. La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. Year 26, Issue 1535. Page 26. 12 August 2009. Retrieved 14 May 2013.
    3. Quenepas – A Taste of Ponce. Archived 2013-06-16 at Archive.today See Puerto Rico.com Puerto Rico Tourism Company. Government of Puerto Rico. 6 September 2012. Retrieved 14 May 2013.
    4. Reaparece el Festival de la Quenepa. Carmen Cila Rodríguez. La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 21 August 2012. Retrieved 7 April 2016. Updated Weblink 24 April 2018.
    5. Resolucion 32; Serie 2009-2010: Para Autorizar a la Administracion Municipal de Ponce a Otorgar Premiaciones en Metalico a los Participantes Ganadores del Concurso de Recetas; Asi com a los Ganadores de un Concurso de Trovadores, Eventos que se Realizaran Como Parte de las Actividaded de la Segunda Fiesta Nacional de la Quenepa a Celebrarse del 14 al 16 de Agosto de 2009; Y Para Otros Fines. Ponce Municipal Legislature. Government of the Municipality of Ponce. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 12 August 2009. Retrieved 4 May 2013.
    6. Celebra Ponce a su mimada quenepa. Ana María Rolón Romero. La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. Year 26, Issue 1535. Page 26. 12 August 2009. Retrieved 14 May 2013.
    7. Reaparece el Festival de la Quenepa. Carmen Cila Rodríguez. La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. 21 August 2012. Retrieved 7 April 2016. Updated Weblink 24 April 2018.
    8. Quenepas – A Taste of Ponce. Archived 2013-06-16 at Archive.today See Puerto Rico.com Puerto Rico Tourism Company. Government of Puerto Rico. 6 September 2012. Retrieved 14 May 2013.
    9. Quenepas – A Taste of Ponce. Archived 2013-06-16 at Archive.today See Puerto Rico.com Puerto Rico Tourism Company. Government of Puerto Rico. 6 September 2012. Retrieved 14 May 2013.
    10. En temporada la quenepa. Yaira Solís Escudero. El Vocero. San Juan, Puerto Rico. 19 July 2017. Accessed 24 April 2018.
    11. La quenepa no es exclusiva de Ponce. Angelique Fragoso Quiñones. EsNoticiaPR.com 12 August 2016. (Updated: 31 March 2017.) Accessed 24 April 2018.
    12. Quenepas – A Taste of Ponce. Archived 2013-06-16 at Archive.today See Puerto Rico.com Puerto Rico Tourism Company. Government of Puerto Rico. 6 September 2012. Retrieved 14 May 2013.
    13. Puerto Rico: When to go: Quenepas Festival. Archived 6 June 2013 at the Wayback Machine CaribTours. 2013. Retrieved 14 May 2013.
    14. Celebra Ponce a su mimada quenepa. Ana María Rolón Romero. La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. Year 26, Issue 1535. Page 26. 12 August 2009. Retrieved 14 May 2013.
    15. Endulzada la fiesta de la quenepa: Ponce realiza festival que rinde tributo a este fruto. El Nuevo Dia. Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. 16 August 2009. Accessed 24 April 2018.
    16. Endulzada la fiesta de la quenepa: Ponce realiza festival que rinde tributo a este fruto. El Nuevo Dia. Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. 16 August 2009. Accessed 24 April 2018.

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