Julia Cruz normally steers clear of Old San Juan during the third weekend in January. That’s when the blue cobblestone streets swell with convivial throngs of party people celebrating the San Sebastian Street Festival in a manner that would make most saints blush.
Thousands line the sidewalks, parks, and city squares for the evening concerts on five stages. There are dozens of food stalls, the parada de cabezudos (parade of big heads), preternaturally enthusiastic people walking on stilts, small groups roaming about playing merengue, and copious amounts of booze. Sometimes things can get a bit sloppy in the name of good, saintly fun.
Cruz, 36, said she hadn’t been to the festival since she was a teenager, but said she came this year because she needed an excuse to celebrate. Any excuse. Since Hurricane Maria ravaged Puerto Rico on Sept. 20, Cruz has been helping family members who live in the countryside and volunteering to check on the elderly almost every day.
A lone sunbather relaxes on a beach in the Condado neighborhood of San Juan.
CHRISTOPHER MUTHER
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