Puerto Rican Day Parade showcases Philadelphia’s Latino culture

Hundreds of spectators with flags in hand turned out for the annual Puerto Rican Day Parade on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway Sunday to see city’s oldest and largest event celebrating Puerto Rican and Latino Culture.

Salsa Dancers and traditional music mixed with more modern versions of both were put on display by area high school students and adults on Eakins Oval.

Students from Little Flower Catholic School for Girls twirled in traditional floral-pattern dresses in an ode to their Latino heritage.

Area dance group Instant Addiction, on the other hand, riled up the crowd with their routine by hurling each other into the air in an expertly choreographed routine.

This year’s parade marked the 52nd year of the celebration. It is considered the “crown jewel,” of the weeklong Puerto Rican Festival, according to the event’s sponsor,  El Concilio, also know as The Council of Spanish Speaking Organizations.

An estimated 1,500 participants were expected to attend the parade with thousands more celebrating the day throughout the city’s neighborhoods and on Lehigh Avenue in North Philadelphia.