Holyoke celebrates Puerto Rican heritage with downtown festivities

HOLYOKE, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) -Business owners in Holyoke are celebrating the city’s first Fiestas Patronales festival.

Thursday marked the start of the four-day event. Organizers are calling it the largest Latin-X outdoor event in western Mass., designed to celebrate the diverse culture of the island of Puerto Rico.

“We do something cultural because it’s important for our youth to get exposure to what is done on the island,” said event organizer Melvin Sanchez.

The celebration runs through Sunday in downtown Holyoke, with music, food, and mayor Joshua Garcia, who is the city’s first mayor of Puerto Rican descent.

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