While reading a magazine on board the airliner he came across an article about how the residents of Manchester, England, held an annual celebration of pride for their city.

[15] On 21 June 2011, Serrano presented his ideas to a group of concerned Ponceños at the Antiguo Casino de Ponce.

[16] On 28 November 2011 Serrano created the non-profit organization Comité Pro Día Mundial de Ponce (Committee Pro Dia Mundial de Ponce) to set the basis for obtaining approval for the concept.

[17] In December 2011, the Puerto Rico Senate approved the Sunday before Labor Day as Día Mundial de Ponce, and the celebrations started.

Thursday (Aug 30, 7pm): The “Rosario Ferré Book Fair”, featuring the presentation of the book “Los Rostros Rayados”, by Dr. Fernando Picó, regarding the life in Ponce from 1800 to 1830, the years that helped turn the city into Puerto Rico's “Capital Alterna” (Alternative Capital), at Escuela de Bellas Artes de Ponce.