A sea of red, blue and white stretched as far as the eye could see down Sixth Avenue on Sunday, as thousands of New Yorkers turned out to show their Dominican pride.
Beginning on West 37th Street, politicos like Governor Kathy Hochul, Mayor Eric Adams, Police Commissioner Edward Caban and, for the first time in the parade’s history, the President of the Dominican Republic Luis Abinader marched in the fanfare to commemorate the event’s 41st year.
This year’s theme was, “Our History, Our People,” underscoring the country’s music, culture and traditions through dancing, performances on floats, and more. In addition to the parade, an annual gala held on Aug. 11 raised money to provide scholarships for Hispanic college students.
Revelers could be heard shouting “Qué lo que,” which translates to “What’s up” in English as the crowd cheered and clapped their hands. Some participants donned straw hats while they shook maracas as others scraped a brush across a güira.
“New York wouldn’t be New York without our Dominican community,” Governor Hochul said. “Today and every day, I am so grateful to the Dominican community for their work in making New York State a better place and will continue to work to ensure that New York remains a great place for Dominican Americans to call home.”
The thumping sound of reggaeton reverberated up and down the avenue, culminating on 52nd Street.
