BUFFALO, NY (WKBW) — The 52nd Annual Grease Pole, like the 3rd Annual Black and Latinx Pride Festival, is expected to be the biggest yet. Both events aim to bring communities of all kinds together.
You can feel the music and eat the food that Puerto Rican culture has to offer, but of course many expect to look up at the 35-foot-tall slanted telephone poles.
“Three to five teams climb the pole, and each team is given a set amount of time to climb the pole and win,” said Wilmer Olivencia Jr., president of the 52nd Grease Pole. “If they win the Grand Prix, we’ve increased the prize money by $2,000 this year.”
This Sunday at 5pm at 261 Swan Street, you can witness several teams stacking up to claim the Grand Prix.
“We would like to thank our sponsors for making this festival what it is. We are the oldest folk festival in the City of Buffalo and we are proud of it,” says Olivencia.
You can also experience the trendy moves that the 3rd Annual Black and Latinx Pride Festival has to offer.
Organizers say this Sunday’s gala is the perfect opportunity to shine a spotlight on issues that continue to face the community.
“And it’s a growing area that we need to focus on as a community,” says community leader Alexandre Burgos. “What this really means is that we are all coming together as different leaders in different parts of the city to create a new vision of our community.”
The festival takes place on Sundays from 12pm to 7pm at Front Park.
We hope this celebration of the Black, Brown and LGBTQ+ community will strengthen our communities.
“It’s because of our ability to mitigate social determinants, which means that some of our friends can come over and play on weekends,” Taje Jenkins-Jones says. “Because they are working, it continues to contribute to the community, really.”
