Puerto Rican Festival aims to reach younger Latinos, bridge generational gaps

By Evan Dawson,

Megan Mack, Julie Williams

Published July 30, 2026 at 2:20 PM EDT

Three men wearing headphones sit at a table in a radio talk studio: a bald man at left has a grey beard and is wearing a white t-shirt; a man at center has dark hair and a dark beard and is wearing a white polo shirt with a dark green collar; a balding man at right is wearing eyeglasses, a grey plaid blazer, a blue button-down shirt, blue jeans and brown shoes.

1 of 2 — Orlando Ortiz and Jose Sandoval with host Evan Dawson on "Connections"

Orlando Ortiz and Jose Sandoval with host Evan Dawson on "Connections with Evan Dawson" on Thursday, July 30, 2026

George Yeadon / WXXI News

2 of 2 — Julio Sáenz.jpg

Julio Sáenz, chief content officer for WXXI Public Media

Provided image

Rochester's Puerto Rican Festival is back. The 56^th annual celebration runs Thursday through Saturday, and organizers say they expect it to bring thousands of people to the city.

According to reporting by WXXI's Jose Sandoval, goals this year include reaching younger Latinos, educating children about Latino culture, and bridging gaps among generations.

We discuss it all — and preview the fest — with our guests.

In studio:

Jose Sandoval, Latino communities reporter for WXXI News through Report for America
Orlando Ortiz, president of the Rochester Puerto Rican Festival
Julio Sáenz, chief content officer for WXXI Public Media