UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — Red, white and blue flags will be flying high along Fifth Avenue on Sunday as crowds gather for the National Puerto Rican Day Parade.
The 69th annual parade will start 11 a.m. Sunday, when marchers will gather on Fifth Avenue and East 44th Street. They will proceed along Fifth Avenue up to East 79th Street with floats, dancers, music, and more.
Aiming to unite the roughly 8 million Puerto Ricans who live on the island and across the mainland U.S., the parade celebrates "the best of Puerto Rican culture, achievement and legacy with music, dance and colorful displays of cultural pride," organizers said.
Every year, the parade unites around a different theme, and this year's is "Somos Más Que 100x35," meaning "We Are More Than 100x35," to highlight the global influence of the Puerto Rican community.
This year, the festive parade will honor Vega Baja in Puerto Rico, with Reggaeton icon Daddy Yankee as the grand marshal, with Anthony Ramos and Dayanara Torres as the king and queen of the parade.
Anywhere along the Fifth Avenue parade route is fair game for onlookers. Anyone who can't attend in person can watch live on WABC-TV and Channel 7.
In addition to the main parade route, which runs along Fifth Avenue between 42nd Street and 79th Street, the NYPD will be closing roadways surrounding the parade for crowd mitigation and parade formation and dispersal purposes.
Learn more about the 2026 National Puerto Rican Day Parade on its website.
For questions and tips, email Miranda.Levingston@Patch.com.
Sign up for free local newsletters and alerts for the
Upper East Side, NY Patch
Patch.com is the nationwide leader in hyperlocal news.
Visit Patch.com to find your town today.