National Puerto Rican Day Parade celebrates 68th anniversary in New York City
NEW YORK (WABC) -- New York City brought out its 'wepa' spirit to celebrate the 68th annual National Puerto Rican Day Parade on Sunday.
Crowds of spectators lined up along Fifth Avenue in Midtown to watch the parade's colorful floats and musical performances.
ABC 7 New York streamed the parade, which was hosted by Eyewitness News' own David Novarro, Joe Torres, and The View's Sunny Hostin. All three have been named the parade's grand marshals. Eyewitness News reporter Kemberly Richardson reported along the parade route.
This year's parade theme, Plantando Bandera (Planting Roots), recognizes how Puerto Rican communities across the diaspora have established deep roots and positively contributed to their communities, locally, nationally and globally.
The celebration also recognizes the municipality of Aguas Buenas, Puerto Rico and the Puerto Rican community of Atlanta, Georgia.
"We are pleased to recognize the communities of Aguas Buenas and Atlanta, and we anticipate highlighting them in our 2025 festivities," stated NPRDP Board Chair Lillian RodrÃguez Lopez. "These communities exemplify our 2025 theme, Plantando Bandera, as each has uniquely and positively impacted and contributed to society while enriching the cultural identity of our people."
The parade also paid tribute to the beloved Puerto Rican Christmas tradition, La Parranda.
You can re-watch the entire 2025 National Puerto Rican Day Parade below:
Tribute to Puerto Rican Urban and Contemporary Art
The 2025 celebration will pay tribute to the long legacy of Puerto Rican artists in urban and contemporary art. The parade's television broadcast will include a featured piece starring Graffiti legend Lee Quiñones and art historian, Dr. Yasmin Ramirez, as they reflect on the groundbreaking role Puerto Ricans played in shaping New York's street art movement.
The piece traces the roots of Puerto Rican contemporary art from the mid-20th century works by Rafel Tufiño and Lorenzo Homar, to the graffiti and contemporary art movements that showcased Nuyorican voices like Quiñones, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and many others.
Meet the 2025 honorees
- Six-time Grammy winner, Olga Tañón, honored as queen of the 2025 Parade celebration.
- Acclaimed film and television actor, Luis Guzmán will be joining Tañón in leading the parade procession as the parade's king.
- Golden Globe Award-winning actress, Gina RodrÃguez, will be honored as this year's Madrina (Godmother).
- Honored as Padrino (Godfather) of this year's Parade is Grammy and Latin Grammy-winning artist, Elvis Crespo.
- Unified Featherweight World Champion, Amanda "The Real Deal" Serrano, is the first-ever Puerto Rican undisputed world champion and the most decorated fighter in women's boxing history, and she is recognized by Guinness World Records for the most boxing world championships won by a female in different weight classes.
NPRDP Scholarship Recipients
For the eighth consecutive year, the NPRDP is awarding 100 scholarships valued at $2,000 each, for a total of $200,000, to exceptional students of Puerto Rican descent that are making a difference in their communities and will be enrolled in a college or university in the coming school year.
This year's recipients represent 24 states and Puerto Rico, with 36% of recipients being from Puerto Rico. Selected recipients represent 76 colleges/universities, including a mix of public and private schools, including the CUNY, SUNY, and UPR systems, as well as Ivy League institutions like Cornell, Yale, and Columbia. The 2025 class of scholarship recipients were notified by June 1, and a list of winners will be posted on the NPRDP website, www.prparade.org. Since 2014, the NPRDP has awarded over $1.8 million in scholarships.
RELATED | Annual Scholarship Gala held at Plaza Hotel
WABC-TV is a proud broadcast partner of the parade. You can watch it on Channel 7 and wherever you stream ABC 7 New York at 12 p.m. on Sunday, June 8.
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