White Sox Hold Puerto Rican Heritage Night For The First Time, Bringing Chicago’s Puerto Rican Community Together
White Sox Bring ‘Boricua’ Spirit to the Ballpark on Puerto Rican Heritage Night. Los White Sox took to the field on August 29 vs. Los Yankees in a matchup that carried extra meaning off the field. For the first time, the organization held Puerto Rican Heritage Night, presented by Discover Puerto Rico, bringing the sights and sounds of the island to Rate Field. With an energized crowd in attendance, the evening honored Chicago’s Puerto Rican community and gave fans a chance to immerse themselves in Boricua culture through music, dance and vibrant ballpark festivities.
Here’s a look at activities and giveaways fans enjoyed:
Tailgating Performances: The celebration began outside Gate 5 with performances by Latin Rhythms Dance Studio, La Escuelita Bombera De Corazón, and live music from Edward Carpio y Su Clave Maestra. Setting the tone for a wonderful night ahead, Gate 4’s entertainment featured Chicago’s Cuatro Orcuestra delighting fans as they entered the park.
BMO Local Business Mercadito: The organization also opened a mercadito to fans, presented by BMO and featuring local Puerto Rican-owned businesses, including Drop Drip Café, Plena Mercancia, Exo Boutique by Alejandra and more.
Jersey Giveaway: The first 10,000 fans enjoyed a ‘Los White Sox’ Puerto Rican-themed jersey giveaway, presented by Discover Puerto Rico. The jersey’s sleeves feature Taíno symbols representing the indigenous heritage and vibrant traditions of Puerto Rico. The jersey also includes images of the Coqui, Puerto Rico’s native frog, while the back of the jersey says the word ‘Boricua’, a term used to describe a person of Puerto Rican descent.
T-Shirt Redemption: Fans who purchased a special ticket offer received a White Sox/Puerto Rico co-branded T-Shirt with the words ‘La Isla Del Encanto,’ which translates to “The Island of Enchantment.’
Domino Night: Before first pitch, fans gathered at ChiSox Bar & Grill to enjoy a game of dominoes — an essential pastime in Puerto Rican culture — hosted by Pe Erre Domino Club Chicago.
Ballpark Performances: During pregame on the warning track, La Escuelita Bombera De Corazón performed once more for the fans. The group brought high energy and spirit during their performance. At the conclusion of the third inning, Las BomPleneras, an all-women dance group that has been together for 15 years, performed from the Kids Zone.
National Anthem: Puerto Rican native Alanis Rivera stepped up to the mic and delivered a heartfelt rendition of ‘The Star-Spangled Banner.’
Ceremonial First Pitch: The evening featured a trio of ceremonial first pitches, all thrown by individuals of Puerto Rican descent. First up was Mariela Pepin, former contestant on The Bachelor and Bachelor in Paradise. She was followed by singer and songwriter De La Rose, whose track Q U E V A S H A C E R H O Y ? has garnered more than 450 million streams on Spotify. Closing out the ceremony was former Sox infielder José Valentín, who played for the team from 2000–2004.
Hero Of The Game: The White Sox recognized Puerto Rico’s own U.S. Army CW02 member Laura Valentín. Valentín joined the Army in 2006 and has since served a year-long tour in Afghanistan in 2008 and served two six-month tours in Iraq and Kuwait in 2011 and 2012.
Photo Opportunity: Fans had a chance to take photos with a Puerto Rican-themed backdrop in Section 154, thanks to Meag Maldo.
White Sox Hold Puerto Rican Heritage Night For The First Time, Bringing Chicago’s Puerto Rican… was originally published in Inside the White Sox on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.