The event was hosted by:
Gilberto Gabriel Díaz Flores & Jeannie Sol
Part 1 – Sunday, May 24th ,2020
Part 2 – Sunday, May 31st ,2020
Since 1987 the Loisaida Festival has been celebrated the Sunday before Memorial Day weekend in the Manhattan neighborhood known as the Lower East Side, the East Village, or Loisaida. This event is the largest community pride festival in the neighborhood and grows annually in size, excitement, and impact. It has been historically celebrated on the Avenue C commercial corridor-renamed Loisaida Avenue in 1989.
Not even the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) will deter Loisaida Inc. from bringing joy, music, performance, and arts to our beloved community! Honoring our over 30-year tradition, this year we will bring our cultural festival to the virtual realm, reaching thousands of participants in the comfort and safety of their homes.
It is no secret that the COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted communities of color, ravaging our health, livelihoods, economic stability, and social-emotional well-being. For these and many other reasons, we stand by our belief that “Arts & Culture = Social Justice” and, therefore, the show must go on!
Our [Virtual] Loisaida Festival’s theme Cuenta Con Nosotros – Count On Us will highlight the unwavering dedication of our Latinx essential workers, who have bravely fought in the frontlines against the ongoing health crisis, as depicted in this year’s beautiful commemorative artwork by local artist María Dominguez.
It will also emphasize the importance of filling out the 2020 Census in order to secure future Federal, State and City funding for our schools, hospitals, roads, public works, and other vital programs.
Special Thanks To:
The 2020 [Virtual] Loisaida Festival has been made possible thanks to the continued support of Popular Bank, Acacia Network, PHIPPS Houses, Heart 2 Heart Home Care, Bright Health, Daly/González and, supported in part by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, also supported in part by the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) and with the support from the New York City District 2 Councilwoman Carlina Rivera, Assembly member Harvey Epstein and the support of the New York Community Trust Response and Impact Fund and the Hispanic Federation.
We appreciate your outstanding dedication to the preservation of our heritage in New York City and the commitment to the Puerto Rican and Latinx Cultures of the Lower East Side of Manhattan. We would also like to thank Mezcolanza Inc. for once more collaborating with Loisaida Festival to bring internationally-recognized artistic talents from Puerto Rico and Latinoamérica.
