CLEVELAND — Tens of thousands of people took their pride to the streets of northeast Ohio for the 55th anniversary of the Puerto Rican Parade & Cultural Festival.
José Colón is Boricua by blood. He was born and raised in Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico.
“I moved here 13 years ago. So this is my second home, but Puerto Rico is always my heart,” he said.
Colón helped unite northeast Ohioans as an MC for the 2025 Puerto Rican Parade & Cultural Festival this weekend.
Local groups and community members marched, danced and waved the island’s red, white and blue across Cleveland to raise awareness of their roots.
An increasing number of people attend the parade and festival each summer, Colon said; and this year, that number is expected to reach up to 25,000 people.
“That’s what excites us. That’s what makes us want to continue growing and continue making a noise so people understand that we are part of this community,” Colón said. “Not just Puerto Ricans, but Hispanics and Latinos as a whole.”
Colón said the event invites people of all backgrounds to share the love for their homeland.
“I’ve seen people from other cultures come and join us. That’s even more special,” he said.
Amarilis Garcia is helping take traditions from the tropics to the states as the “Madrina,” or, “Godmother,” for the 2025 festival.
“The outfit that I have on is a traditional outfit from Puerto Rico from back in the day,” Garcia said. “When they told me about this role, I found a seamstress on Etsy that made them. I had her represent our culture, and again, go back to the tradition from when our parents used to wear these outfits.”
The Puerto Rican Cultural Festival also features local food and merchandize vendors, and performances at the main stage through the evening (Spectrum News/ Tanya Velazquez)
Still, other event organizers said the two-day event is about more than just festivities.
Michell Hernández Bello, operations manager of the Young Latino Network, said education is a pillar of the cultural party.
“We [are] like coming together to the event and to the parade … to learn about issues that are going on in Puerto Rico and other places,” she said.
Above all, Hernández Bello said, it’s about building solidarity across all communities.
“There’s been like, efforts to build infrastructure en El Yunque,” she said. “That is a national forest in Puerto Rico that we need to protect.”
Regardless of what the future holds, Colón said the island’s spirit will always remain strong.
“We’re part of this community. We’re ingrained in this community,” Colón said. “We are a force economically for this community, and we want that respect.”
Take a look at some views from the festival below: