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Puerto Rican-inspired holiday decorations can be seen all over the La Parranda Boricua pop-up located at Le Lo Lai Gallery in Humboldt Park.<\/p>\n
Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere\/Sun-Times<\/p>\n
In Chicago, the tradition has taken on a different form, especially with a significantly colder and snowier winter season. Many brave souls still travel on foot, while others charter party buses. But at Le Lo Lai Gallery, La Parranda Boricua keeps the party going all week long.<\/p>\n
Some events require a ticket, but the pop-up is free to attend and welcomes people of all ages and backgrounds. A $10 suggested donation comes with a raffle ticket and a shot of coquito<\/a> from the pop-up\u2019s official partner, MadCru Sangria<\/a>.<\/p>\n Each week, La Parranda Boricua hosts various community organizations and local vendors for salsa, bachata, bomba and cumbia workshops, coquito-making classes, toy drives and nighttime fiestas.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Maria Sanchez, left, and Liana Lorenzo, co-owners and founders of Lasting Memories event management, stand together at the bar at the La Parranda Boricua pop-up located at Le Lo Lai Gallery in Humboldt Park.<\/p>\n Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere\/Sun-Times<\/p>\n Organizers Liana Lorenzo and Maria S\u00e1nchez, who together own the company Lasting Memories Events, hosted a parranda pop-up last year during the first weekend of December. The 2024 weekend was so popular that they decided to bring it back and extend it to six weeks, especially because islanders celebrate Christmas well into January.<\/p>\n \u201cLast year was kind of like a test,\u201d Lorenzo told the Sun-Times. The most impactful feedback about the parranda pop-up was people \u201cbeing thankful that something like that existed for them and brought back memories.\u201d<\/p>\n So this year, Lorenzo and Sanchez began \u201cfinding ways to incorporate community and anybody that wants to be part of it,\u201d Lorenzo said.<\/p>\n The casita, and other features of the pop-up, were made by S\u00e1nchez\u2019s husband Jesse, who owns J&M Contracting Group and regularly crafts elaborate wooden chairs and other pieces.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Puerto Rican-inspired holiday decorations, including a Bad Bunny-inspired \u201ccasita\u201d can be seen all over the La Parranda Boricua pop-up located at Le Lo Lai Gallery in Humboldt Park.<\/p>\n Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere\/Sun-Times<\/p>\n The pop-up features a variety of rotating local vendors, including customized drinkware from Encanto Ta\u00edno<\/a>, handmade jewelry from Janina Castillo\u2019s Pretty Pearl Shop<\/a>, Puerto Rico hats and jerseys from Just Go Ill<\/a>. and Humboldt Park-themed sweatshirts and more from Shop Del Humboldt.<\/a><\/p>\n This weekend\u2019s schedule includes an ugly sweater party and contest on Friday, while legendary DJ Extreme<\/a> spins. On Saturday, Sentido, a cultural experiment born from Latino DJs in Chicago, will host their last event of the year.<\/p>\n Families can take photos with Santa on Sunday afternoon and enjoy even more music and dancing in celebration of National Coquito Day.<\/p>\n Gallery owner Luis Raul, who did not want to share his last name, said that his partnership with Lorenzo and S\u00e1nchez started after an introduction during the annual Fiesta Boricua in August.<\/p>\n Lorenzo and S\u00e1nchez liked his approach to art, culture and curating community spaces, so they began collaborating to bring the pop-up to life.<\/p>\n The space, situated between the two large steel Puerto Rican flags on Division St., is the former site of the St. Adalberto Memorial United Methodist Church.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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