Festival Jan 16 - 18, 2009

[Hflors]

One of the people on our cruise posted that there will be a festival during the weekend of Jan 16 - 18, 2009. Does anyone know what the festival will be about? What luck that the one weekend we will be in San Juan there will be a festival!

 

I love San Juan. I love to just walk on the old streets. I love touring the forts even though this will be the third year in a row to tour them. I love to look at the old cemetary next to El Morro. I love to see the families flying kites on the open space in front of El Morro. Oh and by the way did I tell you I just plain love San Juan! Ok I will stop rambling now.

 

 

I still love San Juan!

[RayInPR]

One of the people on our cruise posted that there will be a festival during the weekend of Jan 16 - 18, 2009. Does anyone know what the festival will be about? What luck that the one weekend we will be in San Juan there will be a festival!

 

That sounds like it will be the San Sebastián street festival.

 

Calle San Sebastián is closed down and it becomes a "carnival atmosphere" of food, drink, live music, people, people and more people! Think Bourbon Street in New Orleans, with salsa and merengue, but without the beads. :)

[Hflors]

That sounds like it will be the San Sebastián street festival.

 

Calle San Sebastián is closed down and it becomes a "carnival atmosphere" of food, drink, live music, people, people and more people! Think Bourbon Street in New Orleans, with salsa and merengue, but without the beads. :)

 

Wow this sounds wonderful! I have never been to a street festival. Thanks RayIN PR for the info. When will the street be closed? Day/night etc. Any other info you can send along would be appreciated

[RayInPR]

Calle San Sebastian will be pretty much closed for the duration of the festival. During the day, there are artisans and music. At night it's a big club scene.

 

We went once (when we first moved to PR) and left after about an hour. There were soooo many people ... too many for us. It wasn't scary or anything ... just way too crowded.

 

They were selling souvenir tee shirts that were kinda like "I survived San Sebastian". The drawing on the shirts was just a bunch of backs of people's heads. That should give you an idea of what it's like there.

 

But if you're into that scene, then go and enjoy it.

 

Getting into OSJ is tough on the days of the festival. If you're staying in the old city pre/post cruise plan on allowing extra time for travel to/from hotel. If you're in port for the day, you'll have it easier (providing you dock at the piers in OSJ versus the Pan American pier).

 

Google "San Juan San Sebastian Festival" and you'll find a bunch of info, from stuff in Fodors to videos on YouTube.

 

Hope this helps!

[orquidia]

It is the festival of San Sebastian (In honor of the Saint Sebastian). It is the third week of january.

January has many holidays, including the very cherished Christmas holiday of 3 Reyes Magos (Ephiphany) on Jan 6

Christmas season in Puerto Rico is supposed to end 8 days after Jan 6, this period is called 'Las Octavitas' (8 days after Reyes Magos).

[margincall]

Our cruise ends on the 17th and we were going to go on the ships rainforest tour which then takes us to the airport so i guess since we leave the driving to them it should be ok even though we are at the pan american pier with celebrity

[mikepmcm]

One of the people on our cruise posted that there will be a festival during the weekend of Jan 16 - 18, 2009. Does anyone know what the festival will be about? What luck that the one weekend we will be in San Juan there will be a festival!

 

I love San Juan. I love to just walk on the old streets. I love touring the forts even though this will be the third year in a row to tour them. I love to look at the old cemetary next to El Morro. I love to see the families flying kites on the open space in front of El Morro. Oh and by the way did I tell you I just plain love San Juan! Ok I will stop rambling now.

 

 

I still love San Juan!

 

San Sebastián Street Festival January 18, 2009 - January 21, 2009 *

The street of San Sebastián in Old San Juan is the focus for a big festival every year in January. A carnival atmosphere pervades the block as fairground rides, food stalls and live music take over the area.

By day, locals parade in processions of traditional Puerto Rican masks (vejigantes) which are vibrantly coloured in red, yellow and blue and carved into grotesque and comical shapes.

 

As dusk falls, the live music and sound systems gear up to provide a party in which young and old gyrate to salsa, merengue and Puerto Rican classic tunes.

 

Directions: In the eastern side of San Juan on the north coast of Puerto Rico.

La Casita, overlooking San Juan Bay near Pier 1, is a good place to start your tour since it is a tourist information centre and has free maps of the area and brochures setting the district in its historical context.

[Bargeo]

Does the festival continue on Monday? We will be there on the 19th of January.

[rainforestgirl]

San Sebastián Street Festival January 18, 2009 - January 21, 2009 *

.

 

These dates are incorrect. It is always the 3rd weekend of January. Usually from Thurs-Sun. So for 2009, the correct dates will be Jan 15, 16, 17, and 18.

The exact dates have not been announced yet, but I guarantee it is not Sun 1/18- Wed 1/21! It will be the 3rd weekend, but whether it will start on Thurs or not will be the question.

 

It ends on Sunday.

[Bargeo]

Thanks for the reply........just missed it by one day. Monday is probably massive clean up.......lol.

[mikepmcm]

....

[twinscruiser2]

We are disembarking on January 18th from the Pan american pier and were palnning to tour OSJ before we leave fore the airport. Will getting into the city be an issue due to the festical that day?

[sailandcruise]

All the web sites I can find list it as 17-20 January 2009, which would be Sat-Tue. Since Monday is a holiday -- Martin Luther King Day -- and Tuesday is Inauguration Day -- is it possible that these dates are accurate for this year?

 

I'll be in San Juan 19-20 January so it would be nice if it does go through Monday night at least.

[sailandcruise]

All the web sites I can find list it as 17-20 January 2009, which would be Sat-Tue. Since Monday is a holiday -- Martin Luther King Day -- and Tuesday is Inauguration Day -- is it possible that these dates are accurate for this year?

 

I'll be in San Juan 19-20 January so it would be nice if it does go through Monday night at least.

 

This web site says it's 17-20 January: http://www.whatsonwhen.com/sisp/index.htm?fx=event&event_id=97165

 

This one says 15-18 January: http://www.gotopuertorico.com/events-puerto-rico.php?year=2009&month=1

 

Hotels weren't too hard to find for the night of the 19th so I would bet that the second site is correct, althought I hope that the first one is so I will be there during the festival. :confused:

[rainforestgirl]

Yup-it is always the 3rd weekend of Jan and it usually starts on Thursday and it always ends on the Sunday. That makes it the 15th- 18th this year.

 

Believe the PR tourism site and me!

Any info on the internet that says it is an annual event on a specific date is incorrect. The exact dates change every year.