The Bronx celebrated its many residents of Dominican heritage on Sunday, July 25, at the annual Dominican Day Parade which kicked off at the Grand Concourse and 172nd Street. The celebration brought together a host of Dominican Americans and Bronxites from all walks of life, many decked out in red, white and blue to honor the colors of the Dominican flag.

New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio and various elected officials, political candidates and community leaders led the parade behind a gigantic Dominican flag.

Congressman Adriano Espaillat (NY13), Bronx District Attorney, the Hon. Darcel Clark, State Sen. Jamaal. T Bailey (S.D. 33), Democratic nominee for mayor and Brooklyn Borough President, Eric Adams, District 16 City Councilwoman Vanessa Gibson, City Councilman for Inwood/Northern Manhattan, Ydanis Rodríguez, District 15 City Councilman Oswald Feliz and district director to Bailey, Kenny Agosto, were among those marching on the day.

Meanwhile, Democratic nominee for City Council District 13, Marjorie Velázquez, and Pierina Sanchez, Democratic nominee for City Council District 14, were two of the political candidates to march in the parade. Sanchez told Norwood News that she was born and raised in the Bronx and had been coming to the parade since she was a kid.

“It’s an honor to, for the first time, march in it, and in it as a, hopefully, future elected official, if elected on Nov. 2 of this year,” she said. Sanchez added that she was happy to be at the parade with fellow Dominican Americans, neighbors and friends of the Bronx, celebrating Dominican culture.

“To me, what this parade represents is the pride that we have in the Bronx of being from the Dominican Republic, making sure that, as we go on, as Dominican Americans here in the country, in the Bronx, in New York City, that we also remember our roots and everything that that comes with, in our patriotism, our happiness, our values of family,” she said.

Later in the day, Feliz spoke to the crowd, expressing his pride in his Dominican heritage and thanking his Dominican constituents for supporting him and his campaign in the recent June primary election.

“[I] won the democratic primary because of you, because of you,” he said. “You came out, and you supported me like I never thought possible, and I cannot tell you how much I appreciate you, and if no one else in New York knows, I want them to know this…. I’m a Dominican baby!” he said. The councilman recently announced that since being elected three months ago, following his win in the March District 15 special election, he has delivered nearly $15 million in funding for the district.

Meanwhile, dressed in red, white, and blue costumes, to showcase their Dominican pride, a Dominican dance group performed for the enthusiastic crowd. The parade has been an annual tradition in the Bronx for the last 32 years, although it was cancelled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.