Puerto Rican pride is abundant in New York City with the return of the iconic national parade in its typically colorful, in-person fashion following a two-year pandemic hiatus.
Light rain showers didn't stopped thousands from pouring onto Manhattan's Fifth Avenue for the 65th annual event celebrating the culture, arts, achievements and legacies of Puerto Rico and its people.
The parade was set to kick off around 11 a.m. and stretch along the iconic Manhattan span between 43rd and 79th streets. This year it is dedicated to the municipality of Cidra, Puerto Rico, which is also referred to as the Town of Eternal Spring, or el Pueblo de la Eterna Primavera. See more details here.
Photos: Sea of Puerto Rican Flags Mark Parade Comeback
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The festivities began ahead of Sunday's big parade, though. The parade organizers and Mayor Eric Adams raised the Puerto Rican flag at Bowling Green Park in Lower Manhattan Friday afternoon to officially kick off the parade weekend. A Central Park Zoo fundraising gala followed Saturday night to support the National Puerto Rican Day Parade's college assistance efforts.
“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,” National Puerto Rican Day Parade Board Chair Louis Maldonado said in announcing the planned return last month.
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"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," he said.
