The National Puerto Rican Day Parade’s Annual 152nd Street Cultural Festival was held on Saturday, May 27, under glorious sunshine in the South Bronx and drew a host of City and borough elected officials along with around one thousand festival goers to celebrate the occasion.

 

The festival is a free, family-friendly event that celebrates Puerto Rican culture and heritage, held on 152nd Street between Jackson and Tinton Avenues, with food, music, games, live entertainment and lots of Boricua pride! Soundboy Ariel Cartagena, a Latin Hip Hop artist, had everyone on their feet during his lively performance.

The festival is the only official event associated with the National Puerto Rican Day Parade, according to organizers. New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who has impressed with his Salsa moves in the past, was in attendance on the day and was seen greeting, shaking hands, and taking pictures with festival goers.

 

The festival took place prior to the shock announcement of the resignation of former Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell on June 12, reportedly amid tensions with the mayor over disciplining NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey.

 

As a few ladies were screaming over the mayor as he tried to address those gathered, he made his remarks very brief on the day. Adams said he was looking forward to the parade and wished everyone a great day.

The parade president, Lillian Rodriguez Lopez, said that effective that day the mayor became an “honorary Boricua, today, tomorrow, and always in The Bronx.”

 

At one point, someone approached the stage to say a small 5-year-old boy was missing. DJ Ralphie Mercado made an announcement and one of the festival staff members told a few others to spread out to look for him. It wasn’t long before the staff members returned and said the child had been found, was ok and had been reunited safely with his family.

Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark, District 17 City Councilman Rafael Salamanca, and family and friends of Moises “Candela” Joel Medina also gathered together on the day for the official co-naming of a section of Jackson Avenue as Moises “Candela” Joel Medina Way.

 

An Instagram post one year ago on the page of the Puerto Rican Day Parade organizers, read, “We are deeply saddened by the passing of Moises Joel Medina, the artist known as “Candela,” who gifted our community with his rendition of “Qué Bonita Bandera. [What a Pretty Flag]” which has become a Parade anthem.”

The message continued, “We honored him this year with the title, “Voz de la Parade” [Voice of the Parade] and we will honor his memory and legacy in the years and decades to come. May he forever Rest In Peace. 🙏🏽💔 #quebonitabandera #QEPD”

 

According to Wikipedia, the northeastern United States is home to 2.5 million Puerto Ricans, comprising 53 percent of the Stateside Puerto Rican population nationwide. Lower New England and the NY-NJ-PA area hold the majority of the region’s Puerto Rican population, and New York City has the largest population of Puerto Ricans in the country, outside Puerto Rico itself, followed by Philadelphia.

 

*Síle Moloney contributed to this story.