Date: 
Fri, 12/03/2021 - 4:00pm to 7:00pm

Think of it as Christkindlmarkt, with a Latino flavor and vibe.

The Chicago Latino Theater Alliance (CLATA) is adding all-new Latino flair to Chicago’s free, outdoor holiday entertainment offerings by introducing Destinos al Aire, A Holiday Extravaganza! Friday, December 3 at the Humboldt Park Boathouse, and Friday, December 10 at Harrison Park in Pilsen.

On Friday, December 3, Destinos al Aire travels to the Humboldt Park Boathouse, 1301 N. Humboldt Drive, bringing a festive, outdoor market atmosphere. The event, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., will feature live entertainment, food trucks serving up enticing Latino American cuisine, and artisans selling culturally-inspired crafts, garments and seasonal gift items. Performers include comedienne Gwen La Roka, the Venzuelan Cepillao Band, the all-women Puerto Rican ensemble Las BomPlenaras¸ and physical theater from La Vuelta in association with UrbanTheater Company.

On Friday, December 10, Destinos al Aire will pop up at Harrison Park, 1824 S. Wood St. in Chicago’s Pilsen community, bringing vendors, food trucks, heat lamps and live entertainment. Hours are 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Performers include Gwen La Roka, Mariachi Sirenas, Chicago’s first all-women Mariachi, Teatro Tariakuri with a Pastorela Navideña and a performance by Teatro Vista.

All events are free. Visit clata.org for more information. To receive the latest updates, sign up for CLATA’s weekly e-news, and follow CLATA on FacebookTwitter and Instagram.

“Que en esta Navidad el mejor regalo que recibas sea estar junto a tus seres queridos, amigos y colegas, compartiendo paz, esperanza y alegría,” said Myrna Salazar, Executive Director, Chicago Latino Theater Alliance.

“That means ‘this Christmas, the best present you get is to be near your loved ones, friends and colleagues sharing peace, hope and joy.’ At CLATA, and on behalf of all of Chicago’s Latino theater community, we invite Chicagoans to join their friends and loved ones at Destinos al Aire, to honor and celebrate the holidays with us in warm, traditional Latino styles.”

Destinos al Aire is presented as part of the Chicago Park District’s Night Out in the Parks series, supported by the Mayor’s Office and Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. Sponsors also include The Arts Work Fund and xfinity.

Note: Night Out in the Park events hosted in Chicago Park District locations must adhere to the City of Chicago's guidelines for park use, which state that all park users should continue to wear face coverings and practice social distancing when in a crowd, including outdoor events. For more information and updates on safety guidelines, visit nightoutintheparks.com

Destinos al Aire

Friday, December 3, 4-7 p.m., at Humboldt Park Boathouse

Gwen La Roka is a rising star of stand-up. She has worked with some of today’s funniest comedians like Gina Yashere, Felipe Esparza, Aida Rodriguez, Finesse Mitchell and the legendary Paul Rodriguez. La Roka has been featured at comedy clubs throughout the country including The Improv, The Laugh Factory and Zanies in Chicago. Her corporate work includes American Family Insurance, Commonwealth Edison and the National Museum of Mexican Art. She was recently selected as one of six finalists to compete in HBO Latinos Entre Nos comedy contest; if she wins, she would be the first Latina from Chicago with an HBO Comedy Special. gwenlaroka.com



Cepillao is an eight-piece Chicago band with Manasés Rivera, leader/keyboards (Maracaibo, Venezuela), Freddy Quintero/bass (Punto Fijo, Venezuela), Daniel Larez/vocals (Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela), Jose Ormaza/drums, (Quito, Ecuador) Javier Quintana/congas (Caguas, Puerto Rico), Andy Leon/Piano (Maracaibo, Venezuela), Javier Saume, drums/percussion (Caracas, Venezuela) and William Sierra/Vocals (Maracaibo Venezuela). cepillao.band 



Las BomPleneras is an all-women ensemble established in 2010 dedicated to the preservation, promotion, and growth of Puerto Rican culture through the music and dance genres of Bomba and Plena. facebook.com/BomPleneras



Powered by a bold mission to “decolonize theater,” UrbanTheater Company is committed to centralizing the power and talents that are innate in every person to tell their communities stories. UTC is thrilled to see its new home now under construction in the heart of Humboldt Park in the new Nancy Franco Maldonado Paseo Boricua Arts Building, 2709-2715 W. Division St. UrbanTheater’s new space is scheduled to be completed in summer 2022. La Vuelta Ensemble, in residence with UTC in 2021, led by Puerto Rican artists Jean Carlos Claudio and Raquel Torre, is focused on ensemble-based devised theater exploring high physicality and delightful absurdity. urbantheaterchicago.org

 

 About the Chicago Latino Theater Alliance (CLATA)

The Chicago Latino Theater Alliance (CLATA) is a transformative cultural engine helping drive the city’s local Latino theater community to a more prominent level. CLATA was founded in 2016 as a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization by Myrna Salazar and Chicago’s three most prominent Latino arts organizations: National Museum of Mexican Art (NMMA), International Latino Cultural Center (ILCC), and Puerto Rican Arts Alliance (PRAA), with the generous support of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.  

CLATA’s signature program is Destinos, Chicago’s annual, citywide, live, international theater festival dedicated to showcasing the Latino experience as told by Latino artists and companies from Chicago, the U.S. and Latin America. For six weeks each fall, Chicagoans and visitors to the city experience a rich, diverse array of Latino-themed shows, panels and student performances at marquee venues downtown and storefront theaters and cultural institutions in predominantly Latino neighborhoods throughout the city. 

CLATA receives generous support from The Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, The Joyce Foundation, The Ford Foundation, The Walder Foundation, The Arts Work Fund, The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelly Foundation, The Illinois Humanities, The Shubert Foundation,  a CityArts grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, Illinois Arts Council Agency, National Endowment for the Arts, Allstate, ComEd and Southwest Airlines.

For more, visit clata.org.