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2025
New York
Parranda Tradition Feature (NPRDP 2025)
During our 2025 parade television broadcast, The National Puerto Rican Day Parade paid tribute to La Parranda, one of Puerto Rico’s most cherished holiday traditions. More than just music, a parranda is an explosion of joy and community—a lively nocturnal caravan of family, friends, and neighbors who surprise each household with the sounds of aguinaldos (Puerto Rican holiday carols), played with guitars, cuatros, maracas, and güiros. In return, hosts welcome them with food, drink, and warmth, often joining the troupe as it grows from house to house. What begins as a small gathering blossoms into an extended celebration that can last until dawn. Today, this tradition thrives not only on the island but also in Puerto Rican communities across the United States, where parrandas bring a taste of home, unity, and cultural pride during the holiday season.
2025
New York
Clemente Soto Vélez Posthumous Tribute (NPRDP 2025)
Clemente Soto Vélez (1905-1993) was a prominent Puerto Rican poet, journalist, and political activist whose life and work significantly influenced Puerto Rican literature and the broader Latino cultural landscape in the United States. He co-founded the literary group "El Atalaya de los Dioses," which evolved into the Atalayismo movement. This movement sought to intertwine poetic expression with political activism, particularly advocating for Puerto Rican independence. Soto Vélez's poetry is noted for its passionate social vision and surrealist style. The Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural and Educational Center, in Manhattan's Lower East Side, serves as a multidisciplinary arts space dedicated to promoting Puerto Rican and Latinx culture.
2025
New York
The Origin of "Zafacón" with Sheila Torres Negrón, AKA Dialecto Boricua! (NPRDP 2025)
The word zafacón—meaning garbage can—is a uniquely Puerto Rican term whose origin is often clouded by urban legend. A popular but likely misguided theory traces it to the English phrase “safety can,” once used by the U.S. military and factories for hazardous waste containers. Yet its spelling and pronunciation raise doubts. In this feature, 2025 NPRDP Ambassador and Puerto Rican dialect expert Sheila Torres Negrón explores a richer origin story—one rooted in Spain’s Arabic influence—that offers a more compelling explanation.
2025
San Juan
Aguas Buenas; National Puerto Rican Day Parade's Honored Municipality (NPRDP 2025)
Aguas Buenas, Puerto Rico was honored as the 2025 National Puerto Rican Day Parade's Honored Municipality.. Known as “La Ciudad de las Aguas Claras” (The City of Clear Waters) due to the purity of its fresh water springs, Aguas Buenas was established in 1838 and is situated south of San Juan, within Puerto Rico’s Central Mountain Range.
2025
New York
Tony Croatto Posthumous Tribute (NPRDP 2025)
Born in Italy and raised in Uruguay, Tony Croatto chose Puerto Rico as his home out of love for its beauty and its people. A prolific singer, musician, and television personality, Croatto became an adoptive son of Puerto Rico and one of its most beloved cultural figures. His passion for the island deeply influenced his music and television work, where he celebrated Puerto Rican traditions, landscapes, and identity.
2025
New York
Diasporic Collage at Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College (NPRDP 2025)
Diasporic Collage at Center for Puerto Rican Studies - Hunter College
The Diasporic Collage: Puerto Rico and the Survival of a People is the inaugural exhibition in CENTRO’s gallery space in East Harlem (El Barrio), which launched its New York City premiere in March 2025 and can be seen thru September 25, 2025.. The exhibition reframes the Puerto Rican diaspora as a collage—a layered, dynamic assemblage of intertwined histories of colonialism, resistance, and survival, rather than a one-dimensional "melting pot." It draws inspiration from Frank Espada’s seminal photographic and oral history archives—over 4,000 photos and 130 interviews in The Puerto Rican Diaspora: Themes in the Survival of a People—but extends beyond them to include broader, more diverse diasporic perspectives.
2025
New York
Dialecto Boricua Feature (NPRDP 2025)
Like every culture, Puerto Ricans have a rich tapestry of colloquialisms—unique words and phrases that tell our story. Rooted in Castilian Spanish, our dialect is enriched by Taíno and African influences, infused with Anglicisms from U.S. ties, and shaped by centuries of migration and cultural exchange. The result is a Spanish that is both proper and complex, reflecting the archipelago’s layered identity. In this piece, 2025 Parade Ambassador and Dialecto Boricua founder Sheila Torres Negrón shares her expertise on the language that defines us.
2025
New York
2025 National Puerto Rican Day Parade Recap Slide Show!
Take a look back at some of the unforgettable moments from the 2025 National Puerto Rican Day Parade! From dazzling floats and incredible dancers to our inspiring honorees—and of course, the thousands who came out to celebrate—we’re grateful to everyone who made 2025 one of our biggest and best yet!
2025
New York
Ruth Fernández Posthumous Tribute (NPRDP 2025)
Affectionately known as “El Alma de Puerto Rico Hecha Canción” (The Soul of Puerto Rico, Embodied in Song), Ruth Fernández was an internationally acclaimed contralto and a trailblazing voice for women and Afro-Puerto Ricans. She broke barriers as the first woman in Puerto Rico to appear on a televised music show and the first Puerto Rican woman to perform at New York City’s Metropolitan Opera House. Beyond the stage, Fernández served as a senator in Puerto Rico from 1973 to 1981, championing artists’ rights and the Puerto Rican diaspora. Honored as “Singer of the Century,” she left an enduring legacy of musical excellence, courage, and social activism.
2025
New York
NPRDP Scholarship Feature (NPRDP 2025)
In 2014, the National Puerto Rican Day Parade deepened its commitment to education by expanding its scholarship program. Since then, it has awarded over $1.8 million to outstanding Puerto Rican students, helping them achieve their higher education goals. This feature spotlights three past recipients and how NPRDP’s support helped shape their journeys.
2025
ATLANTA
Atlanta; National Puerto Rican Day Parade's Honored Stateside Community (NPRDP 2025)
The Puerto Rican community in Atlanta was honored as the 2025 NPRDP Stateside Community. Estimated at 45,000 individuals, Atlanta’s Puerto Rican community has grown significantly since the 1990s and now ranks among the top 20 U.S. cities in terms of Puerto Rican population. This community has contributed to Atlanta's economic development and cultural diversity.
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