BY: Liliana Rocio, Senior Editor for World Liberty TV, @ 37th Ave & 69th St Jackson Heights Queens NY, Sun July 12th 2026

The 2026 theme is “Peruvian Heart, Hispanic Soul: Millennia of Culture, One Single Community.”

The International Peruvian Parade of New York (International Peruvian Festival) marches down 37th Avenue every summer as the centerpiece of Jackson Heights’ Peruvian Independence celebration.

If you want to feel Peru’s culture without leaving New York City, this is where to go.

International Peruvian Parade 2026, 37th Avenue from 69th to 87th St Jackson Heights, Queens Sun, July 12, 2026 | 12noon.

Some of the Honorees and guests included; Mariana Lopez is Madrina Internacional,,NIcole Maguina Urbano is Reina Cultural,  Ashley Misaray is Reina del Club Libertad en Nueva York,  Almendra Barrón is Miss Huacho 2026,  La Cuya Huachana Bailarina (Guinea Pig mascot) is marching,  Giselle Vanegas is a Queen Candidate, Crystal Lino is a Queen Candidate and  Jennifer Pajuelo is a Queen Candidate.

The International Peruvian Parade is the signature event of the broader International Peruvian Festival, Jackson Heights’ Peruvian Independence celebration timed near Peru’s national holiday on July 28.

Alongside the parade, the festival includes a Queen Coronation and a Floral Altar, drawing marchers and spectators from across Queens and beyond.

Its mission is simple: introduce New Yorkers of every background to Peruvian folklore, music, and history, while giving the local Peruvian community a stage to celebrate where they come from.

Dance troupes, community organizations, and local dignitaries march together along 37th Avenue, filling the avenue with color.

Past editions of the parade have brought out thousands of spectators, many of them Peruvian New Yorkers reconnecting with home, alongside neighbors from Colombia, Ecuador, and beyond who join in the celebration.

Ahead of the parade, the festival holds a Queen Coronation, a press conference, coronation, and reception that kicks off the celebration with formality and pride. It’s typically held at a local Peruvian restaurant in the neighborhood.

Beauty contests are popular in Latin America, but this isn’t just about beauty. It’s also about understanding Peruvian culture and being able to represent the community.

Adela Nicole Salas is Miss Perú New York 2026. She is also a candidate for Miss Perú Universo.

The Floral Altar, The Floral Altar on Calle Perú adds a quieter, more reflective note to the festival, honoring Peruvian tradition through flowers and community gathering.

The International Peruvian Parade is a crash course in Peruvian folklore. Expect to hear the deep, resonant beat of the cajón and the haunting, high notes of the quena, two instruments central to Andean and coastal Peruvian music.

Traditional dance groups perform in elaborate costumes representing different regions of Peru, from the Andes to the coast to the Amazon.

New York City is home to one of the largest Peruvian communities in the United States, and the parade is where that community shows up in full force, alongside neighbors from across the Latin world who come out to celebrate together. Peru has so many folkloric traditions. It’s really wonderful to see.

Jackson Heights is widely considered one of New York City’s most diverse neighborhoods, home to parades and festivals celebrating communities from Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, and the Dominican Republic, among many others.

The International Peruvian Parade fits naturally into this calendar, one more thread in a neighborhood built on cultural celebration.

Some of the political leaders included, representatives from Mayors office and Governors office, politicians in attendance included: Donovan Richards, Queens Borough president, Jessica González-Rojas, New York State Representative, Catalina Cruz Assembly member, many more political leaders from Peru and in attendance from the tristate area.

Hundreds of marchers, floats, dancers from Peru, Paraguay, Ecuador, and many more South American countries represented.

The highlight of the parade was live Llamas and alpacas, total four of them were in attendance at the parade, as well as marching people were very happy to see them, as they took pictures with them as well as petted them.

Llamas and alpacas dressed in colorful costumes is a common sight in Andean towns. Though it feels very “touristy” there is a longstanding cultural tradition to dress up these animals that symbolize power, respect and reverence among indigenous people of Peru.

There were six beautiful stallions from SAGASTUME’S Ranch from Windsor in Connecticut. These stallions were from Netherlands, and Spain.

They are show horses, well groomed, looking very fit and pretty and taking steps and walking in style. They marched in the parade many people taking pictures and getting a glimpse of these beautiful animals.

The parade had thousands of people in attendance, from all over the USA, and Peru in attendance to be part of this wonderful Peruvian celebration.

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