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Bolivian NYC

Bolivian NYC is centered in Queens and Paterson, New Jersey.

Bolivia has Andes and Amazon regions. It was part of the Inca Empire. Spanish colonizers stole the Bolivian silver mountain at Potosí. Bolivians speak Spanish, Quechua, Aymara and other Indigenous languages. Indigenous culture remains strong. Indigenous colonial Mestizo Baroque art is quite beautiful. There is some blending of Indigenous and African Diaspora traditions. Carnival is important.

The Queens Bolivian Parade is NYC’s big Bolivian festival. There is Bolivian culture at the Dance Parade, Hispanic Day Parade and Junta Hispana street fair. Many Bolivian Caporales dance groups join the Dance Parade.

Bolivian Culture

  • Bombín hat
  • Caporales dance
  • Diablada dance
  • Mestizo Baroque art
  • Morenada dance
  • Saltenas empanadas
  • Tinku dance
  • Zampona flute

Bolivian Festivals NYC

  • Queens Bolivian Parade

Bolivian New York City

Bolivian NYC News

Bolivian nyc archive

December 2022

CHRISTMAS EVE CONCERT
The New York String Orchestra led by Bolivian conductor Jaime Laredo with Venezuelan violinist Rubén Rengel play Elgar, Mozart, Bach and Tchaikovsky on Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage on Saturday, December 24, 2022 at 7pm. From $21. 🇧🇴🇻🇪

September 2022

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, a celebration of the Americas, through October 15. 🇦🇷🇧🇴🇧🇷🇨🇱🇨🇴🇨🇷🇨🇺🇩🇴🇪🇨🇸🇻🇬🇶🇬🇹🇭🇳🇲🇽🇳🇮🇵🇦🇵🇾🇵🇪🇵🇷🇪🇸🇺🇾🇻🇪

The Queens Hispanic Parade 2022 marches on 37th Avenue from 69th St to 86th St in Jackson Heights, Queens on Sunday, September 25, 2022 starting at 11am. 🇦🇷🇧🇴🇨🇱🇨🇴🇨🇷🇨🇺🇩🇴🇪🇨🇸🇻🇬🇶🇬🇹🇭🇳🇲🇽🇳🇮🇵🇦🇵🇾🇵🇪🇵🇷🇪🇸🇺🇾🇻🇪

August 2022

Celebrate Bolivian Independence Day on Saturday, August 6, 2022. 🇧🇴

Celebrate Bolivian Independence Day at the Bolivian Llama Party restaurant in Sunnyside, Queens on Saturday, August 6, 2022 at 7pm. 🇧🇴

September 2021

Rosita Hurtado shows at Fashion Designers of Latin America at Lavan541 in Chelsea, Manhattan on Tue-Wed, Sep 8-9, 2021. 🇧🇴

The New York Yankees celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with a giveaway of Yankee caps with Hispanic flags for Yankee games on Fri-Wed, Sep 17-22, 2021. From $40. mlb.com
🇦🇷🇧🇴🇧🇷🇨🇱🇨🇴🇨🇷🇨🇺🇩🇴🇪🇨🇸🇻🇬🇹🇭🇳🇲🇽🇳🇮🇵🇦🇵🇾🇵🇪🇵🇷🇪🇸🇺🇾🇻🇪

The 59th New York Film Festival is at Film at Lincoln Center, Fri, Sep 24 – Oct 10, 2021. 🇦🇴🇧🇴🇧🇷🇨🇦🇨🇴🇫🇷🇮🇳🇮🇹🇲🇽🇵🇹🇷🇴🇪🇸🇺🇸

Bolivian Food in NYC

Bolivian Salteñas (© Ildipapp/Dreamstime)
Bolivian Salteñas (© Ildipapp/Dreamstime)

Puerta Del Sol in Woodside, Queens serves traditional Bolivian food.

You can get salteñas (Bolivian meat pastries) at the Bolivian Llama Party kiosk in the Turnstyle Underground Market on Eighth Ave and 57th St in Hell’s Kitchen. There is another in Fort Greene, Brooklyn.

Bolivian Culture

Bolivian Caporales dancer (© Jeremy Richards/Dreamstime)
Bolivian Caporales dancer (© Jeremy Richards/Dreamstime)

Bolivia’s Indigenous culture remains very strong. Bolivian culture is a rich blend of Indigenous, Spanish colonial and African cultures.

Bolivia has many interesting folk dances including Caporales, Diablada, Morenada, Tinku and Tobas.

Bolivian Intangible Cultural Heritage

UNESCO recognizes these Bolivian contributions to the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity:

  • Alasita ritual journeys
  • Carnaval de Oruro is one of South America’s biggest cultural festivals.
  • Ichapekene Piesta
  • Kallawaya
  • Pujllay and Ayarichi music and dance of the Yampara culture.
  • Santísima Trinidad del Señor Jesús del Gran Poder in La Paz.

Visit Bolivia

The Carnaval de Oruro is one of South America’s great cultural festivals. It was originally an Indigenous festival that was syncretized with the Virgin of Candelaria to preserve Indigenous traditions in the Colonial Era. It’s now a pre-Lenten carnival.

Public Holidays in Bolivia

Festivals in Bolivia

  • Alasita, a Bolivian good-luck tradition, is in La Paz for two-three weeks from January 24.
  • Feast of Our Lady of Candelaria, patron saint of Tenerife, Canary Islands, and the African Diaspora is February 2.
  • Carnaval de Oruro is February 11-21, 2023.
  • Holy Week is April 2-8, 2023.
  • Nuestro Señor del Gran Poder Christian festival (May or June) is in La Paz, June 3, 2023.
  • Aymara New Year is in Tiwanaku, near La Paz, on June 21.
  • Inti Raymi is June 22.
  • Entrada Universitaria is a college folk parade in La Paz in July or August.
  • Pachamama Andean New Year celebrates Mother Earth on August 1.
  • Ñatita is an ancestral veneration festival in La Paz on November 8.

Bolivian World Heritage Sites

UNESCO recognizes these world heritage sites in Bolivia:

  • Chiquitos in Santa Cruz Department has restored colonial Jesuit missions.
  • Fuerte de Samaipata in Florida Province of Santa Cruz Department is a town with ceremonial Indigenous rock sculptures.
  • Noel Kempff Mercado National Park in Santa Cruz Department has beautiful waterfalls.
  • Potosí in Potosí Department, is the city of Cerro Rico, the legendary silver mountain of the Spanish colonial era.
  • Qhapaq Ñan is the ancient Inca road system that follows the Andes. The mountain road that passes through Bolivia, runs from Colombia to Mendoza, Argentina
  • Sucre in Oropeza Province of Chuquisaca Department, is a town known for its fusion of Indigenous and Colonial architecture.
  • Tiahuanacu in Ingavi Province of La Paz Department is an ancient center of Tiahuanacu culture.
South American NYC

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