The National Puerto Rican Day Parade is back! After a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19, the National Puerto Rican Day Parade Board of Directors announced details for its big return to New York City’s Fifth Avenue.
Where & When
The 65th Annual National Puerto Rican Day Parade will take place on New York City’s Fifth Avenue. The parade begins on 43rd Street and runs up to 79th Street. The big day is Sunday June 12, beginning at 11am. This year the Puerto Rican Day Parade celebrates 65 years of showcasing the best of Puerto Rican culture, achievement and legacy. As always the parade will be filled with music, dance and colorful displays of cultural pride. This year an estimated 1.5 million are expected to be in attendance.
“This is a milestone year for the Parade, and our return to Fifth Avenue is yet another sign that NYC and the Puerto Rican community are strong, resilient and as vibrant as ever,” said NPRDP Board Chair, Louis Maldonado. “The NPRDP Board of Directors invites all Boricuas in the New York City area, Puerto Rico and across the patria extendida(diaspora) to join us on June 12 to exclaim ¡WEPA! and sing ‘Qué bonita bandera,’ just as we have for the last 64 years.”
The Honors
The 2022 Parade will be dedicated to the municipality of Cidra, Puerto Rico. Known as the Pueblo de la Eterna Primavera (Town of Eternal Spring). Cidra is a town located in the central, mountainous region of the island and is home to approximately 40,000 cidreños.
The Honored Stateside Community will be the Greater Philadelphia Area. Which is home to more than 250,000 Puerto Ricans living in communities across Philadelphia, Berks and Lancaster Counties in Pennsylvania.
Other themes, tributes and individual honorees for the 2022 celebration will be announced over the coming weeks.
The Kickoff
Kicking off the 2022 celebration will be the NPRDP’s 152nd Street Cultural Festival. The 152nd Street fest takes place on May 28th on 152nd Street between Jackson and Tinton Avenues in the Bronx. The festival is a family-friendly event makes the celebration more accessible to local communities. It showcases artisans, cultural activities, food, music, entertainment for adults and children.
On Saturday, June 11th, the NPRDP will host a Gala Fundraiser at the Central Park Zoo to support the NPRDP Scholarship Program. Since 2014, the NPRDP has awarded over $1.2 million to Puerto Rican students going to college. The Gala Fundraiser convenes honorees, community leaders and elected officials to celebrate Puerto Rican achievement while supporting students in pursuit of higher education.
If you can’t make it to 5th Avenue this year, don’t worry. The celebration will be broadcast live on WABC-TV, Channel 7, starting at noon EDT.