The Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural & Educational Center — Local services in New York

The staff Durning the Three Kings event were so unorganized it was unbelievable. The left hand hand know what the right hand was doing. It was 35 degrees and the staff made people who had tickets to the event stand on the curb off their property. Then due to the over crowding on the busy New York street they had the crowd walk around the block to begin a new line down the street outside of their parking lot. Then many people came and cut the line but the staff did not care to hear. After standing outside the gate parking lot for over an hour they let in the first 20 people into the lot as they locked the gate behind. Then they moved us to the side to make room for the next 20 cars started to come into the lot to park and we were forced to move again. The after an hour the told us to stand by the entrance only to be asked to move again 30 minutes later. There short version of this story is after a 3 hour wait to take part in a joyous holiday among my Hispanic culture I was horribly disappointed. The entire event once inside lasted all of 6 minutes of product placement and a half handed attempt at appealing to the mass of people who wanted to experience a feeling of joy not anger...

The Clemente isn't just a space; it's a cultural landmark that's been fueling the arts scene in the LES (Loisaida) for over three decades, standing tall as a pillar of Puerto Rican and Latinx pride.

The Clemente is a microcosm where the city's energy is channeled into a celebration of diversity, with every performance and workshop echoing different communities and experimentation. This place is serious about giving a voice to BIPOC artists, offering them not just a stage, but a supportive springboard. The programming is brilliant. From thought-provoking film screenings to electrifying live gigs, as New York as it gets. It's a stone's throw away from the F train Delancey stop. the building itself is an architectural jewel. an open labyrinth. They seem to have some of those amazing spaces...

This is the Third Annual Fringe Puppet Festival. There are exhibitions of incredible puppets and shows throughout the day. The festival continues on August 12 and 13.

I saw the show Junk Town Duende. It is an hour and costs $20. It features puppet buildings, cockroaches. developers and politicians. The town is 100 year old Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico. The developers are trying to destroy the town but can’t get rid of the cockroaches. It is one of the most outrageously funny shows I’ve ever seen.

This years show is even better than the First Annual Fringe Puppet Festival. It is extremely creative and a great place to spend a few hours or the day.

I highly recommend it and wish I could...