Festival de la Novilla facts for kids

The San Sebastian Heifer Festival (or Festival de la Novilla in Spanish) is a very popular event in Puerto Rico. It happens every year in the town of San Sebastián during the third weekend of January. This is when the town celebrates its fiestas patronales, which are special parties for their patron saint, Saint Sebastian. The festival lasts all weekend and brings in many visitors from all over the island. San Sebastián is in the western mountains of Puerto Rico, near cities like Aguadilla and Mayagüez.

This festival celebrates the heifer (a young cow that hasn't had babies yet) and cattle farming. Raising cows is a very important business in this area. The festival also shows off fresh farm products, tasty local dishes, and street food. You can enjoy folk music, salsa dancing, and other fun cultural activities. The festival ends with a big parade of decorated floats and cows. A special heifer, wearing flower crowns and ribbons, leads the parade. Besides showing off the town's farming, the festival also helps raise money for local school scholarships.

History of the Heifer Festival

Even though the Festival de la Novilla officially started in 1977, San Sebastián has had similar celebrations for a long time. These events were part of the town's patronal festival since it was founded in the 1700s. Cows and cattle raising have always been important to the town's economy and culture.

The first official Heifer Festival took place in January 1977. It was organized by the Club Altrusa de San Sebastian. This club was started in 1976 by women in business. Their main goal was to raise money to help improve education for girls in the community. The Club Altrusa still organizes the festival today. They continue to raise funds to help the community and support educational projects in San Sebastián. Another important goal of the festival now is to share old traditions. This way, visitors and younger generations can learn about the town's past.

The festival in 2018 was dedicated to the people affected by Hurricane Maria. The special heifer chosen to lead the parade that year was named Esperanza. This Spanish word means hope.

The Heifer Parade

The heifer parade is the most exciting part of the festival. A special heifer leads the parade each year. She is decorated with a beautiful flower crown, colorful ribbons, and even painted hooves. People cheer and say "mira que linda!" (which means look how pretty [she is]!) as she passes by.

The parade also includes other cows, fun themed-floats, and many musicians. You can see marching bands and local artists too. Some special characters also appear in the parade and celebrations. Don Pepe acts like a town crier, making public announcements. La Titina is a very decorated character who represents the joy of the celebrations. Another group, called Los Negritos (meaning 'the little black children'), is usually played by kids. Their portrayal has been discussed in recent years.

The parade starts at 10 AM at the corner of Route 111 and Route 445. It then follows Route 111 for a while, turning onto Route 119. About 60,000 people come to watch or join in the festival every year.

Gallery

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  Mural in Hacienda La Fe, San Sebastian promoting the festival.