The 64th Annual Puerto Rican National Parade will be virtual again this year. Organizers have announced a two-hour television special to air live on June 13, at 12 noon Eastern time, in celebration of the parade, which traditionally heads up 5th Avenue with 75,000 marchers and more than one million spectators.
WABC-TV anchors Joe Torres and David Novarro and Sunny Hostin, co-host of The View, will host the 2021 event.
The grand marshal of this year’s parade will be the entire cast of the film In the Heights. The film, coming out this summer, is a screen adaptation of a hit musical by Lin Manuel Miranda and Quiara Alegría Hude. Cast members include Anthony Ramos, Jimmy Smits, Gregory Díaz and Miranda.
The film, set in the Washington Heights neighborhood of New York City, is a celebration of the Latino community, inspiring viewers to “hold onto their dreams while honoring their roots.”
500th anniversary of San Juan
The New York Puerto Rican Parade is the largest Puerto Rican celebration in the United States. This year, it will celebrate the 500th anniversary of San Juan.
San Juan was established in 1521, perhaps the earliest European settlement in America which is still standing. Many of the buildings in Old San Juan are on the National Register of Historic Places or designated World Heritage Sites. The founder of the city was Ponce de Leon, famous for seeking the Fountain of Youth. He first settled at Caparra in 1508, but determined that San Juan was a more suitable place and moved the capital there in 1521. By 1530 the city had a university, a library, and a hospital.
A resolution to recognize this anniversary has been introduced in Congress. The bill is sponsored by Representatives Jenniffer Gonzalez Colon (R-PR), Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL), Carlos Gimenez (R-FL), Stephanie Murphy (D-FL), Maria Salazar (R-FL), Darren Soto (D-FL), Ritchie Torres (D-NY), and Nydia Velazquez (D-NY).
More to celebrate
Other highlights of the celebration include Puerto Rican poetry and the Puerto Rican Paso Fino, a breed of horse developed in Puerto Rico. The Puerto Rican Paso Fino is known for its unusual and beautiful gait.
A traditional music and dance style known as “la danza” will also be featured. La Danza is a style of ballroom dancing popular in the 19th century. The territory’s official song, “La Borinquena,” is an example of Danza music.
Puerto Rican Chef Ventura Vivoni will teach viewers to make his signature dish, arroz chulería. Guests will receive ingredients made in Puerto Rico. This part of the event will be a gala fundraiser.
National Puerto Rican Day Parade
The National Puerto Rican Day Parade boasts that it is “America’s largest cultural celebration.” The organization has awarded $1,000,000 in scholarships since 2004.
The first New York parade took place in 1958, and the parade has been held continuously on the second Sunday in June ever since. More than 50 other cities also hold similar parades.
while growing up in NY the parade was better organized, but as time when on- it truly suck and doesn’t promote a great image and pride like it did years ago when we embraced the police, the arm forces and/or the valuable contribution to our country- instead of political criminals – hey is just my opinion- i stand corrected if i am wrong