Fanny Puertas offers a taste of Peru through her restaurant, Mercado 27, in Hartford’s Parkville Market, but the love for her country goes beyond its cuisine.
“I love my roots,” Puertas said in Spanish. “I love my music, and I love to see people happy.”
In 2023, Puertas decided to organize a festival to celebrate Peruvian Independence Day and bring Peruvian customs to Connecticut.
Now, the fourth annual PerúFest is being held Saturday, July 25 from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Parkville Market.
“For us as Peruvians, Independence Day probably is one of the most important days of the year,” said Africa Vargas, Puerta’s daughter.
Vargas said she helps her mom organize the festival, because it’s difficult to celebrate July 28 in the U.S. in the same way they do in Peru, where people take up to a week off work to celebrate their independence from Spain in 1821.
“Here, usually you focus more on work and building your dreams, so celebrations or parties or being with your community, sometimes it's not your first thing,” Vargas said. “When something like this comes, it's very important for us to be present… It's more important now that we are far from our country.”
PerúFest started off small with only about 60 people in attendance, according to Vargas. Last year, Vargas said the event boomed with hundreds of attendees. To the point where they ran out of food.
“I felt so bad,” Puertas said. “I didn't know what to do, because people were coming with the hope of eating their traditional food.”
They’ve learned their lesson for this year, Puertas said. The event will have ample food, entry tickets to cover costs and control foot traffic, and a new private venue across from Parkville Market with additional bathrooms, she said.
An old-school ‘kermes’
In creating PerúFest, Puertas said she wanted to simulate a typical celebration you would see in Peru.
“We wanted to recreate these festivals we would have in schools known as kermesses,” Puertas said, “because we really miss those aspects of life back in Peru.”
A kermes is a popular tradition in Latin America. It’s typically an outdoor community celebration where you can experience traditional music and dances as well as activities and food. In Peru, Puertas said it’s almost like a cultural field day at school.
PerúFest will have traditional foods such as anticuchos, a Peruvian street food of skewered beef heart or other meats, and Peruvian creole food which blends Spanish, Indigenous Andean, and African cultures.
Live performances of typical Peruvian dances will be featured throughout the day. Puertas said Peru is made of “costa, sierra, y selva”, meaning coast, highlands, and jungle regions. She said she wants to educate folks on dances from all regions, so they can get a true sense of the spirit of Peru.
As for activities, Puertas said Peruvians can celebrate their independence with an opening ceremony featuring the Peruvian national anthem at 1 p.m. Attendees can expect local vendors, cultural exhibits, and bingo where they can win special prizes.
All are invited, Vargas said, but she extends a special invitation to Peruvians with children born in the U.S.
“There are many Peruvians who have come here and have married locals or people from other countries and no longer have the opportunity to show their culture to their children,” Puertas said. “What better opportunity to teach them than this one?”
Vargas said she has fun putting this event on with her mother, but every year has come with new challenges. Her mother’s passion for Peru, she said, motivates them both.
“This is her dream,” Vargas said. “She's very into the cultural and artistic thing. She used to teach typical Peruvian dances back in Peru. So, this is more her passion. I just help her to make this true.”
When people say they love the food or the performances or the event as a whole, Puertas said, “That’s the best satisfaction. What else can I say? It’s so wonderful, and I love it.”
Learn more
PerúFest is happening on Saturday, July 25 at Parkville Market in Hartford. The event begins at 12 p.m. and is set to end around 10 p.m.
Tickets cost $15 online or $20 at the gate the day of. Kids ages 12 and under enter for free with a parent or guardian.
