BY: Adal Hussain, Chief Editor, Ntl Puerto-Rican Day Parade , 44st ,5th Ave NY, June 8th 2025.
Event organizers are expecting about a million people to line up along Fifth Avenue in Midtown on Sunday to watch the parade’s floats and performances.
The 2025 parade theme, Plantando Bandera (Planting Roots), recognizes how Puerto Rican communities across the diaspora have established deep roots and positively contributed to their communities, locally, nationally and globally.
The celebration recognizes the municipality of Aguas Buenas, Puerto Rico and the Puerto Rican community of Atlanta, Georgia.
“We are pleased to recognize the communities of Aguas Buenas and Atlanta, and we anticipate highlighting them in our 2025 festivities,” stated NPRDP Board Chair Lillian Rodríguez Lopez.
“These communities exemplify our 2025 theme, Plantando Bandera, as each has uniquely and positively impacted and contributed to society while enriching the cultural identity of our people.”
This year’s parade will also pay tribute to the beloved Puerto Rican Christmas tradition, La Parranda. Tribute to Puerto Rican Urban and Contemporary Art.
The 2025 celebration will pay tribute to the long legacy of Puerto Rican artists in urban and contemporary art.
The parade’s television broadcast will include a featured piece starring Graffiti legend Lee Quiñones and art historian, Dr. Yasmin Ramirez, as they reflect on the groundbreaking role Puerto Ricans played in shaping New York’s street art movement.
The piece traces the roots of Puerto Rican contemporary art from the mid-20th century works by Rafel Tufiño and Lorenzo Homar, to the graffiti and contemporary art movements that showcased Nuyorican voices like Quiñones, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and many others.
Meet the 2025 honorees included: Six-time Grammy winner, Olga Tañón, honored as queen of the 2025 Parade celebration.
Acclaimed film and television actor, Luis Guzmán joined Tañón in leading the parade procession as the parade’s king.
Golden Globe Award-winning actress, Gina Rodríguez, will be honored as this year’s Madrina (Godmother).
Honored as Padrino (Godfather) of this year’s Parade is Grammy and Latin Grammy-winning artist, Elvis Crespo.
Unified Featherweight World Champion, Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano, is the first-ever Puerto Rican undisputed world champion and the most decorated fighter in women’s boxing history, and she is recognized by Guinness World Records for the most boxing world championships won by a female in different weight classes.
NPRDP Scholarship Recipients: For the eighth consecutive year, the NPRDP is awarding 100 scholarships valued at $2,000 each, for a total of $200,000, to exceptional students of Puerto Rican descent that are making a difference in their communities and will be enrolled in a college or university in the coming school year.
This year’s recipients represent 24 states and Puerto Rico, with 36% of recipients being from Puerto Rico. Selected recipients represent 76 colleges/universities, including a mix of public and private schools, including the CUNY, SUNY, and UPR systems, as well as Ivy League institutions like Cornell, Yale, and Columbia.
The 2025 class of scholarship recipients were notified by June 1, and a list of winners will be posted on the NPRDP website. Since 2014, the NPRDP has awarded over $1.8 million in scholarships.
It was a well-attended parade, political leaders in attendance and marching in the Parade: New York State Governor Kathy Hochul, Mayor Eric Adams, New York Senior Senator Chuck Schumer, New York City Public Advocate, jumaane Williams, New York City Council Speaker, adrienne adams, Former Governor Andrew Cuomo, running for New York City Mayor and many more political leaders from New York City and Puerto Rico.
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