On Saturday, September 8th the Fifth Annual Puerto Rican Day Parade of WNY will depart from the steps of City Hall. When I mentioned this parade to a friend she said, “There’s a Puerto Rican parade in Buffalo?” I answered that there was and thought about all of the parades that I had attended this year thus far. There are a lot of parades in Buffalo. I’ve tried to catch as many as possible, though I think it is impossible to catch them all. Sometimes there are two parades in one day’s time. There are parades dedicated to all sorts of holidays, and ethnic groups, and religious groups and gender groups… the list goes on and on.
Parades are a great way for people to display their pride. They’re participatory events that include all age groups, people with disabilities, and even politicians. The ethnic parades show support for communities through the crowds that cheer them on. Obviously the Saint Patrick’s Day Parade is a big one (even two or more) in Western New York. There are parades that signal the start of festivals like Juneteenth. And there are others that wrap up festival like the Elmwood Avenue Festival of the Arts. Block clubs get involved, and so do police and fire departments. Commercial enterprises support them, and so do schools and cultural organizations.
If you like parades, then Buffalo offers enough of them to make you happy. Sometimes it’s fun to search out the more obscure parades. It’s a neat way to learn about different cultural groups and the neighborhoods they inhabit. The Puerto Rican Day Parade of WNY is one that I have not had the pleasure of attending, so it’s one that I will try to make. It kicks off at 1pm and travels down Niagara to Porter where it winds up at LaSalle Park. There will be a flag-raising ceremony performed at City Hall before the parade launches, and live music will be in full swing at LaSalle Park afterwards. Of course no parade would be successful without authentic food and drinks…
This year makes for a very special celebration as Niagara Street will be designated AVENIDA SAN JUAN “…in honor of Buffalo’s growing Puerto Rican and Hispanic communities” (sponsored by Councilman Brian Davis). Then there will be a showing of Puerto Rican art and history at the Karpeles Manuscript Museum, 453 Porter Ave., beginning September 5th. This parade is expected to showcase over 1500 participants and thousands of onlookers. For more information on the parade, head to this website.
queenseyes
Newell Nussbaumer is 'queenseyes' - Eyes of the Queen City and Founder of Buffalo Rising. Co-founder Elmwood Avenue Festival of the Arts. Co-founder Powder Keg Festival that built the world's largest ice maze (Guinness Book of World Records). Instigator behind Emerald Beach at the Erie Basin Marina. Co-creator of Rusty Chain Beer. Instigator of Buffalo Porchfest, and Paint vs. Paint. Founder of The Peddler retro and vintage market on Elmwood. Instigator behind Liberty Hound @ Canalside. Throws The Witches Ball at Statler City, the Hertel Alley Street Art Festival, and The Flutterby Festival. And his latest adventure... FigBuffalo, with the intention of creating a Buffalo United Fashion Front (BUFF). Contact Newell Nussbaumer | Newell@BuffaloRising.com