‘Malecon’ selfies, daiquiris and Albita await you at this celebration of Cuban nostalgia
The oldest nostalgia fair in South Florida returns to the Fair Expo Center on May 21-22 with a few surprises and the usual attractions.
Cuba Nostalgia, the annual tradition that celebrates Cuba’s Independence Day, joins forces with Miami Dade College to educate new generations about Cuba’s history and heritage.
One of the event’s highlights, the musical line-up, includes Albita, Carlos Oliva, Luis Bofill, Marisela Verena, Nic N’taya, the Havana Riverside Orchestra, the Clave Guajira ensemble, Lena and Malena Burke, and comedians Bonco Quiñongo and Iván Camejo, among others.
“Participating in Cuba Nostalgia always fills me with absolute happiness because it is one of the most beautiful celebrations we have in Miami to pay tribute to our roots through music, gastronomy and the arts in general,” Lena Burke told El Nuevo Herald. Part of the festival’s success has been it’s family-friendly vibe, she says. “It is an activity that unites different generations to celebrate our customs with our grandparents, uncles, parents, and children, and to know where we come from and who we are.”
Comedian Bonco Quiñongo added that the greatest success of the fair is “the effort not to leave Cuba and its most important places to oblivion, since anyone who forgets where they come from will never know where they are going.”
Throughout the weekend, attendees can enjoy 14 themed pavilions with emblematic buildings from the streets of Havana, painting and photography exhibitions, memorabilia, typical food and beverages such as the daiquirí, the mojito and the Cuba Libre.
Among the most visited areas of Cuba Nostalgia are the pavilions of El Floridita restaurant, one of Ernest Hemingway’s favorite places; La Bodeguita del Medio, the temple of the mojito with walls covered with celebrity autographs; the Morro Castle and the Malecon.
Don’t miss the legendary Tropicana, where the concerts will be presented; the pavilion of the Payret Cinema Theater, considered by some “the cathedral of cinema in Spanish,” and the Woolworth store.
The list of attractions also includes a huge canvas of the National Capitol, a backdrop where a collection of vintage cars valued at $10 million will be exhibited, and the Partagás cigar factory.
There are also recreations of well-known sites such as the Havana Cathedral, the historic Paseo del Prado and El Solar, the old 19th-century mansion converted into a tenement house.
CubaNostalgia
When: May 21-22
Where: Miami-Dade County Fair and Expo, 10901 SW 24th St., Miami
Cost: $20
Info: www.cubanostalgia.org
