JEWELRY

Puerto Rican Festival-goers flock to Joseph Avenue store to get decked out in flag gear

Reggaeton music and the coquí frog call from El Yunque National Forest poured out from Local Motion Sport & Fashion and onto Joseph Avenue.

Co-owner Jaime Rivera said that he plays the sound of the coquí during holidays and the Puerto Rican Festival. This week, the store was busy with customers in the days leading to the annual festival, which returns to Frontier Field for the first time since the pandemic began.

He and his wife, Amelia “Cookie” Rivera, have been running the store since 1986. They are both Puerto Rican and came to Rochester from New York City. Over the course of its existence, their store has been a hub for community and celebration.

In this photo from 1986, a young Amelia "Cookie" and Jaime Rivera hold each other at an event in Rochester, New York.

In this photo from 1986, a young Amelia “Cookie” and Jaime Rivera hold each other at an event in Rochester, New York.

“You know what is the best thing about this, being in the business

Read the rest