National Puerto Rican Day returns to New York City on June 8, 2025. Held annually, it celebrates the achievements and rich culture of New York City’s Puerto Rican community. The highlight of the event is the Puerto Rican Day Parade — the oldest and longest running Latin heritage parade on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. One of the largest parades in the United States, it runs from 42nd street all the way up to 79th street this year. Expect large crowds, music and lots of entertainment. To help plan your visit, New York City has an official map available on its website. This year’s map is currently live and can be found at : https://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/downloads/pdf/emb-2025-national-puerto-rican-day-parade-map.pdf. Festivities begin at around 11 am, but suggest arriving early.
New York City’s first official Puerto Rican Day began in 1958. Currently on its 67th year, the parade takes place annually on the second Sunday in June. Every year the parade committee selects a theme. This year’s theme is ‘Plantando Bandera’ or ‘planting the flag’ in English. Plantando bandera means to establish a claim – literally planting a flag – to symbolize a sense of belonging and permanence. Planting a flag might sound straightforward but it can actually be quite challenging to accomplish. It also represents an act of great significance as has been demonstrated throughout history. Photography has played a key role in conveying the significance of such events. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin planting a flag on the moon during the Apollo 11 mission on July 20, 1969 revealed how a single image can impact the world. Before that there was the raising of the flag on Iwo Jima as captured by the iconic photograph taken February 23, 1945. Both examples reflected successful human triumphs over tremendous challenges. This years parade continues the tradition of celebrating the tenacity and achievements of Puerto Rican culture by showcasing its art, music and creativity. It’s also free and open to the public. Simply show up and enjoy! More information may be found on the official nprdp (national puerto rican day parade) website.
Top photo credit : “Puerto rican flag blowing in the wind on a beach with with ocean in the background and a small outcropping of rocks on the left side” by Aaron Jorbin/ CC0 1.0