Festival de Chiringas, La Perla (2014 – Present)

This project seeks to metaphorically elevate the community through a collective process of creation, dissemination, teaching, and celebration of the kite tradition in the community, by making and flying hundreds of kites from all possible sites in La Perla. As part of the process, kite workshops are offered in the community during the months leading up to the festival.

This tradition dates back to the beginning of the last century, when the first Kite Festivals were held in the area, since the El Morro lawn was militarized and inaccessible. This is demonstrated by an archive photo from 1914, where several people show their kites—or chiringas—to the camera during a festival held in the community. That history inspired the launch of the project in 2014, when the first traditional kite-making workshops were held in different areas of La Perla, both indoors and outdoors.

The La Perla Kite Festival has become a cherished tradition. In the past ten years, the event has been held five times and is eagerly awaited by adults, young people, and children throughout the community.

Collaborators
Collaborators and volunteers for this project include Roberto Viruet, Luis Santiago, and Keyla Báez (residents), as well as Manuel Crespo, José “Chico” Martínez, Eddie “El Indio” Ortiz, Gaspar Torres, and Sergio Rivera (members of the Puerto Rico Kite Association).

We also count on the support of the La Perla Community Board and the community collective La Plaza del Negro, dedicated to the cultural reaffirmation of Negritud in the community through the education and celebration of Puerto Rican Bomba, every Friday from 4:00 p.m. onward.