National Puerto Rican Day Parade

A key date on the NYC cultural calendar, the National Puerto Rican Day Parade honours the culture and heritage of Puerto Rico and its people.

Chosen for: Preserving Culture.

Usually taking place on the second Sunday of June and kicking off at around 11am, the vibrant parade marches down Manhattan's Fifth Avenue, from 43rd Street up to 79th Street – a sea of colour, music and dance. Much like Notting Hill Carnival is to London, the National Puerto Rican Day Parade is part of the fabric of NYC.

2023 marks the 66th anniversary of the parade, with the founders first marching through the streets back in 1958 when the Puerto Rican population skyrocketed. Though there was a small pre-existing community living among Cubans and Latinos, Puerto Rican residents found themselves particularly vulnerable to police abuse and labour exclusion. Their response? Show the city a unified front with a highly visible parade. Over half a century has passed but its mission remains the same: to generate awareness and appreciation of Puerto Rican culture and its contribution to the United States, and provide a platform for the community to act in solidarity and speak with a unified voice.

Each year, the parade is dedicated to a location within the Puerto Rican mainland, as well as a Puerto Rican community in the United States. Last year's celebrations honoured the municipality of Cidra in the mountainous region of the island, as well as the Greater Philadelphia area of the US, home to a quarter of a million Puerto Ricans. Much more than the annual celebration that unfolds on the streets of NYC, the National Puerto Rican Day Parade has become an institution dedicated to promoting culture, arts and education, highlighting important issues within the community.

Mark your calendars for 11 June, and join an estimated 1.5 million others in a celebration of Puerto Rico and its people.

The National Puerto Rican Parade takes place on 11 June 2023.