It is no secret that people in Puerto Rico know how to party, especially around the Christmas holidays. Announce that there will be a parade, music, dancing, libations, food – then add in local artisan crafts for sale – and it all adds up to one crazy celebration! That describes the San Sebastian Street Festival, or Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastian, which will be held in 2012 from January 12th to 15th.

Each summer, the town of Aibonito hosts the biggest plant & flower show & sale in Puerto Rico. There are formal displays, plant & flower sales, live entertainment, and food kiosks. It’s an event we look forward to every year! This year, the Aibonto Flower Festival will be held from June 24 through July 4, 2011.

Spring is in the air, so that means that is is time for Plant Shows here on the island! The Puerto Rico Orchid Society Show will be March 17 to 20 in Hato Rey, and the Zingerberalis Society of Puerto Rico Show will be March 19 in Rio Piedras. Admission to both is free!

Are you looking for a fun shopping experience in San Juan? On the first Sunday of every month, the Mercado Urbano is set up at La Ventana al Mar in Condado. Under big tents, this market holds about 40 or 50 vendors of local, Puerto Rican made products. Everything is home grown or home made on the island. You’ll be able to find all sorts of things. It is a great stop.

Looking for a way to save some money on vacation, while still having fun and eating well? Then order the 2011 Puerto Rico Entertainment Book and you’ll be able to find loads of discounts at lots of restaurants, attractions and services across the island. I always order the book and we always end up saving way more than the price of the book. Even for a short vacation in Puerto Rico, just using a few of these coupons can save you some money during your trip.

More than 150 years ago, the Plaza del Mercado on Norzagaray Street in Old San Juan was the place to go to shop for food stuffs, fruits and veggies. Once again, it is open and, similar to in olden days, it is full of only organically grown and homemade organic products. Today, it is called the Mercado Agricola Natural Viejo San Juan and it is a treat for the eyes and the taste buds, for locals and visitors alike.

SoFo is the Old San Juan Culinary Festival semi-annual food festival. It’s typically held in the early summer & again in the fall, and it is all about enjoying food & having fun. In the evening, the Old City closes a number of streets to traffic. Then the restaurants start setting up serving tables and bars, tables and chairs, and stages are set up for the bands. This summer, the festival is being held from July 8 through July 11, 2010.

Every year, the town of Aibonito hosts the largest plant show & sale on the island. It features flower & plant displays, a large section for plant sales, live local music shows, and food kiosks. My favorite part is the rows and rows of booths selling all kinds of plants — orchids, fruit trees, vegetable plants, heliconias, gingers, hibiscus … just to name a few. I look forward to this event all year and it is now that time of year again!

When looking for day trips to do, I sometimes forget to look at places close to home. Luquillo is a great little town in the north east part of Puerto Rico. It is home to diverse natural beauty — both miles of beautiful beaches and acres of rain forest. It has a rich and interesting history and a decently active, modern social life. Most people assume they have "done" Luquillo if they make it to the food kiosks and Luquillo Beach, but there is a lot more for people to do and enjoy. So take some time and come explore Luquillo!

If you want to be part of a local experience, get up early on a Friday and head to the San Sebastian Market. I guess I would call it a large flea market or farmers market, since it had a little bit of everything. The market is located on the Centro Agropecuario grounds. It has slots for over 340 tables inside the grounds and, of course, there are other people selling things outside in the parking lot.

With all the talk of the economy and the recession, it’s always helpful to find a way to save some money on vacation. Order the 2010 Puerto Rico Entertainment Book and you’ll be able to find 50% off and 2-for-1 discounts at lots of restaurants, attractions and services across the island.

If you love ice cream and exotic flavors, you need to visit Heladeria Lares, located on the town square in Lares. They have home-made ice cream in flavors like rice & beans, garlic, corn, pumpkin and cod fish (to name a few). Most are tasty. Some are just bizarre. For the faint of heart, they also have "safe" flavors like vanilla and chocolate.

Whether you have just a couple of hours or a couple of days, there are plenty of things to keep you busy and entertained in the northeast part of Puerto Rico. From the rain forest to beaches to biobays, we’ve put together a list of activities sorted by the amount of time you need to do each.

For the real Puerto Rican local market experience, head to Rio Piedras. There, you will find a large indoor Mercado de Rio Piedras (Rio Piedras Market) and blocks of outdoor sidewalk shopping where the locals go to shop!

The Aibonto Flower Festival (Festival de Flores de Aibonito) will be held this year from June 26 through July 5, 2009. It’s a wonderful day of flowers, plants, shopping, music, food and more!