The sound of salsa music and the smell of food filled the the Summerfest grounds during Puerto Rican Festival of Wisconsin on Sunday Sept. 21. Dozens of vendors lined paths selling Puerto Rican merch, tattoos and piercings and drinks.

People walk around during the Puerto Rican Festival of Wisconsin.

Impacto Salsa performs during the Puerto Rican Festival of Wisconsin.

A cook with Puerco Loco flips a turkey leg during the Puerto Rican Festival of Wisconsin.

Yesenia Lanvecho drinks a piña colada during the Puerto Rican Festival of Wisconsin.

Evelyn Hernandez and Richey Arroyo dance during the festival.

Jose Birriel, owner of Puros Birriel Cigars, smokes.

Fer Valverde, piecer at Beauty is Pain, pierces the nose of Kaidy Monrouzeau, 16.

Alaya Gulley, six, gets her face painted.

Ald. JoCasta Zamarripa, Ald. José G. Pérez, Yussef Morales and Ald. Russell Stamper celebrate Puerto Rican Fest of Wisconsin. The elected officials talked about how the festival has grown since the inaugural event in 2013, which took place underneath the 35th Street bridge at Three Bridges Park. This year’s festival was held at the Summerfest grounds.

Analia Gomez, 2, plays while Impacto Salsa performs on stage.

Jonathan Aguilar is a visual journalist at Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service who is supported through a partnership between CatchLight Local and Report for America.

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Capturing the spirit of the Puerto Rican Festival of Wisconsin

by Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local, Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
September 23, 2025

<h1>Capturing the spirit of the Puerto Rican Festival of Wisconsin</h1>
<p class="byline">by Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local, Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service <br />September 23, 2025</p>

<p>The sound of salsa music and the smell of food filled the the Summerfest grounds during Puerto Rican Festival of Wisconsin on Sunday Sept. 21. Dozens of vendors lined paths selling Puerto Rican merch, tattoos and piercings and drinks.</p>
<figure style="padding-top:0;padding-right:0;padding-bottom:0;padding-left:0" class="wp-block-video"><video autoplay loop muted src="https://milwaukeenns.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/PuertoRicanFest.mp4" playsinline></video><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">People walk around during the Puerto Rican Festival of Wisconsin.</figcaption></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-image alignwide size-large"><img src="https://milwaukeenns.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC_0458-1024x576.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-131126" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Impacto Salsa performs during the Puerto Rican Festival of Wisconsin.</figcaption></figure>
<div class="wp-block-columns alignwide are-vertically-aligned-center">
<div class="wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://milwaukeenns.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC_0425-edited-1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-131139" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A cook with Puerco Loco flips a turkey leg during the Puerto Rican Festival of Wisconsin.</figcaption></figure>
</p></div>
<div class="wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://milwaukeenns.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC_0553-edited-1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-131138" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Yesenia Lanvecho drinks a piña colada during the Puerto Rican Festival of Wisconsin.</figcaption></figure>
</p></div>
</p></div>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://milwaukeenns.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC_0632-1024x682.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-131151" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Evelyn Hernandez and Richey Arroyo dance during the festival.</figcaption></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://milwaukeenns.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC_0544-1024x682.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-131129" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Jose Birriel, owner of Puros Birriel Cigars, smokes.</figcaption></figure>
<div class="wp-block-columns alignwide">
<div class="wp-block-column">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://milwaukeenns.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC_0492-1024x681.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-131127" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/lux.blood/?hl=en">Fer Valverde</a>, piecer at Beauty is Pain, pierces the nose of Kaidy Monrouzeau, 16.</figcaption></figure>
</p></div>
<div class="wp-block-column">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://milwaukeenns.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC_6920-1024x684.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-131122" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Alaya Gulley, six, gets her face painted.</figcaption></figure>
</p></div>
</p></div>
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://milwaukeenns.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC_6965-1024x684.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-131124" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Ald. JoCasta Zamarripa, Ald. José G. Pérez, Yussef Morales and Ald. Russell Stamper celebrate Puerto Rican Fest of Wisconsin. The elected officials talked about how the festival has grown since the inaugural event in 2013, which took place underneath the 35th Street bridge at Three Bridges Park. This year's festival was held at the Summerfest grounds.</figcaption></figure>
<figure class="wp-block-image alignwide size-large"><img src="https://milwaukeenns.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/DSC_0439-1024x681.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-131130" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Analia Gomez, 2, plays while Impacto Salsa performs on stage.</figcaption></figure>
<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />
<p><em>Jonathan Aguilar is a visual journalist at Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service who is supported through a partnership between&nbsp;</em><a href="https://www.catchlight.io/local"><em>CatchLight Local&nbsp;</em></a><em>and&nbsp;</em><a href="https://www.reportforamerica.org/"><em>Report for America</em></a><em>.</em></p>
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