The outdoor Taste of Puerto Rico Festival is held at Stapleton Central Park in the Denver suburb of Stapleton. The park is roughly 7 miles east of downtown Denver on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Precise dates for the event change each year, but it is normally held on a Saturday and Sunday in early to mid-June from just before lunch into the early evening.
Food is one of the festival's biggest draws. As the name implies, patrons are treated to a taste of Puerto Rico with traditional dishes like pernil asado, pork shoulder in a spicy citrus marinade, barbecue chicken and arroz con gandules, a pea and rice dish punctuated by bits of pork. Live salsa, merengue, bachata and reggaeton rhythms keep folks in the Caribbean groove. Various contests take place over the course of the weekend -- don't miss the men's hula-hoop competition. In addition to the food booths and music, vendors are also on hand to sell products and souvenirs from Puerto Rico.
Paid parking is available near the festival, but visitors are welcome to use the shuttle bus service that runs from the nearby Northfield Stapleton shopping center. Patrons are not allowed to bring alcohol into the festival, but certain vendors do sell alcoholic beverages to people 21 and older inside. Bring cash because there are no ATMs at the park, and not all vendors accepts credit or debit cards.
The festival's proximity to downtown Denver makes it easy to find accommodations in any price range. This includes chain options like DoubleTree Denver and Holiday Inn Denver East, both about 1 mile from the park. Nearby bed and breakfast options include Castle Marne and The Queen Anne which are closer to downtown Denver, about 5 miles west of the festival. Try AirBnB website if you are interested in renting an entire house or sharing one with a local.
