Puerto Rican Day Parade marches through Manhattan with pulsing music and vibrant colors

NEW YORK (AP) — New Yorkers who weren’t partied out after the Knicks championship found another excuse to celebrate on Sunday as the National Puerto Rican Day Parade marched through Manhattan with pulsing music and vibrant colors.

Tens of thousands of spectators lined Fifth Avenue under sunny skies to watch marchers decked out in red-white-and-blue. This year’s honorees included rapper and singer Daddy Yankee, who served as grand marshal, and actor Anthony Ramos, who was part of the original Broadway cast of “Hamilton.”

Mayor Zohran Mamdani drew cheers as he clutched a small Puerto Rico flag and wore a Knicks jersey over a shirt and tie.

The event, which bills itself as America’s largest cultural celebration, honors the contributions of Puerto Ricans on their home island and throughout the nation and world. It’s a been a June tradition in the city since the late 1950s.

U.S. Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez and jazz musician Charlie Sepulveda were recognized with lifetime achievement awards.

The parade was traveling along Fifth Avenue in Manhattan from 44th Street to 79th Street, spanning 35 city blocks.

The National Puerto Rican Day Parade Scholarship Gala was held on Friday, celebrating academic excellence and student achievement.