By popular demand, Bomba By The Sea returns as an expanded, free outdoor summer series of immersive gatherings featuring Bomba, the AfroIndigenous Puerto Rican folkloric tradition, bringing the community together by the ocean to celebrate life, ancestry, and collective joy. Historically, Bomba gatherings marked significant moments in community life, including births, birthdays, marriages, rites of passage, communal labor, and mourning. These gatherings affirmed life, processed grief, and strengthened bonds through music, movement, and collective presence. The birthday theme draws from this lineage while reflecting a contemporary practice of celebrating life and honoring one another with care, particularly in a time of widespread disempowerment. Each event will feature live participatory Bomba music, community wellness vendors, a community altar and art-making inspired by our ocean and ancestral traditions. Building on successful 2024 and 2025 events, the series will transform the beach into an accessible, joyful space for connection and belonging.

Organized by Better Beaches partner Eli Pabón.