Fiestas patronales (patron saint festivals) are held in the central plaza every year.

The Laws of the Indies, Spanish law, which regulated life in Puerto Rico in the early 19th century, stated the plaza's purpose was for "the parties" (celebrations, festivities) (Spanish: a propósito para las fiestas), and that the square should be proportionally large enough for the number of neighbors (Spanish: grandeza proporcionada al número de vecinos).

These Spanish regulations also stated that the streets nearby should be comfortable portals for passersby, protecting them from the elements: sun and rain.

[10] The church today is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

In 1899, the United States Department of War conducted a census of Puerto Rico finding that the population of Utuado barrio-pueblo was 3,619.