Colorful parade floats, vibrant costumes, and lively music will return to Midtown this Sunday for the 43rd annual National Dominican Day Parade. Celebrating New York City’s Dominican community—the largest in the country—the event features a festive procession with beautiful costumes, traditional food, dance, and more. Taking place on August 10, this year’s theme is “Unidos en Cultura y Tradicion (United in Culture and Tradition),” honoring Dominican heritage in the Dominican Republic, the United States, and abroad, with Dominican-American baseball player Nelson Cruz serving as the grand marshal.
First held in 1982, the Dominican Day Parade started as a small celebration in Washington Heights. The event is hosted on the second Sunday in August to honor the start of the Dominican Republic’s fight for independence from Spain in 1863.
Spectators should prepare to see thousands of marchers set against the colors of the Dominican flag: red, white, and blue. The parade features highlights like traditional Merengue dances, spectacular floats, live performances, and the “diablos cojuelo,” colorful costumed marchers with long-horned masks and bullwhips—a reference to the Dominican Republic’s Carnival celebration, as 6sqft previously reported.
Besides Cruz, the parade honors Joel Armogasto Martinez, aka “The Kid Mero,” Juan Manuel Mendez, Mayra Linares-Garcia, Excarlet Molina, Candy Santana, and others.
The parade is set to begin at 11 a.m. at Sixth Avenue and 36th Street and march north to 55th Street.
The Department of Transportation has released the following information about the parade’s route and street closures:
Formation:
- 6th Avenue between 37th Street and 38th Street
- 36th Street between Broadway and 5th Avenue
- 38th, 37th Street between 5th Avenue and 7th Avenue
Route:
- 6th Avenue between 36th Street and 55th Street
Dispersal:
- 55th Street between 6th Avenue and 7th Avenue
The theme of last year’s parade was “Merengue Nuestro Ritmo” (Merengue Our Rhythm), honoring the rich history and cultural significance of the iconic Caribbean dance style, with the legendary merengue band Los Hermanos Rosario serving as the grand marshal.
