National Puerto Rican Day Parade 2011

Yesterday New York saw the 2011 National Puerto Rican Day Parade take place on 5th Avenue. It’s the 54th event held in New York City and the 16th of the National Organization. The parade this year was dedicated to the Hometown of Cabo Rojo as they celebrated their 240 years since its foundation. It was also co-dedicated to the Hometown of Patillas in celebration of their 200 years.

Parade Theme

This year’s theme was “Celebrating the Natural Beauty of Puerto Rico” as an attempt to educate the community about preserving the natural beauty of Puerto Rico.
The Grand Marshals for the parade were Robert I. Unanue, the President of Goya Foods, Inc. and Carlos Unanue, the President of Goya Foods Puerto Rico. The Lifetime Achievement Award was given to Federico Perez who is a former New York City Councilman and Educator.

5th Avenue Fun

The parade saw large crowds gather along 5th Avenue, as it has grown to one of the city’s largest parades in the city. The parade began at 43rd Street and continued up 5th Avenue until 79th Street.

The Global Ambassador to the arts for the parade was entertainer John Leguizamo.

Here is a clip from the New York Daily News to get a feel for what the parade looked like yesterday.