Our interview with Louis Maldonado, one of the board members of The National Puerto Rican Day Parade.
The National Puerto Rican Day Parade (NPRDP) Board of Directors announces the official 64th Annual National Puerto Rican Day Parade program will be a Celebration Special– an exciting 2-hour event streaming Live and broadcasted on WABC-TV, the No.1 broadcast station in the U.S. Hosted by WABC-TV anchors Joe Torres & David Novarro, along with Sunny Hostin, co-host of “The View. Featuring the cast of Warner Bros’ summer movie event In the Heights as this year’s Grand Marshal, Puerto Rican poets and more. Note to the Public: The NPRDP will celebrate a TV special this year. Organizers ask for the public to not gather on 5th Avenue.
This broadcasted special at noon reflects the temporary replacement of the iconic procession up New York City’s 5th Avenue, which traditionally features over 75,000 marchers and attracts over 1 million spectators from all over the world. Due to COVID-19, the NPRDP’s broadcasted special will carry on the tradition of America’s largest celebration of Puerto Rican history, history, culture, historical figures and issues of importance.
2021 NPRDP HIGHLIGHT: The 500th Anniversary of the founding of San Juan, Puerto Rico
About: The anniversary officially kicks off in September 2021 and will have a year-long calendar of activities and programming. Founded in 1521, San Juan is the oldest European-settled municipality in the United States, with the Spanish colonial section, known as Old San Juan, being home to several buildings and fortifications that are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Adjacent to this is a vibrant metropolis that is home to an evolving business district, diverse nightlife, performing arts organizations and institutions of higher learning. The Parade seeks to continue promoting economic development and tourism by highlighting the 500th Anniversary celebration, as well as other attractions and hidden gems across the Puerto Rican archipelago, with a focus on travel planning with health and safety in mind.
The 2021 NPRDP Program will pay tribute to:
- The Legacy of Puerto Rican poetry- Puerto Rican Poetry continue to thrive and evolve today through modern-day poets, both on the archipelago and across the diaspora.
- The Puerto Rican Paso Fino – An iconic horse breed, beloved for its intricate, natural gait that has made it a favorite in the show ring.
- La danza- A traditional music and dance genre created in Puerto Rico that flourished during the 19th century.
2021 NPRDP FUNDRAISER GALA
On June 3, 2021, The National Puerto Rican Day Parade (NPRDP) hosted a virtual gala. The special program featured a cooking demonstration from acclaimed Puerto Rican Chef Ventura Vivoni, where participants learned to make his signature dish, arroz chulería. Sunny Hostin, from ABC’s The View, was moderator to a conversation with the 2021 Grand Marshals and cast and creators of the new movie In the Heights. Participants included Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jimmy Smits, Quiara Alegría-Hudes and Gregory Díaz. Ticket holders received a meal kit that included the shelf-stable ingredients to make the dish, featuring brands from manufacturers in Puerto Rico to help support small businesses on the archipelago.
Since 2014, the National Puerto Rican Day Parade has awarded over $1 million in scholarships to students of Puerto Rican descent.
How to watch:
Time: 12:00 p.m. (Noon) ET
Location: Televised & Streaming Live on:
- WABCTV-Channel 7
- abc7ny.com
- ABC7 NY’s connected TV Apps: Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV & Roku
- TELECINCO in Puerto Rico
About The National Puerto Rican Day Parade:
Now in its 64th year, the National Puerto Rican Day Parade (NPRDP) is America’s largest celebration of cultural pride in the nation. Programs and events preserve Puerto Rican culture through special tributes to national symbols, historical figures and campaigns to raise awareness on important issues impacting the community. NPRDP’s hallmark program is the Scholarship Program, which has awarded over $1.2MM since 2014 to advance educational achievement in the Puerto Rican community. The Parade’s TV broadcast is a top-rated program and has been nominated for an Emmy® for three consecutive years.
Click Below For Highlights from Previous Years:
2019 Parade National Puerto Rican Day Parade Opening
2020 National Puerto Rican Day Parade- Amanecer Borincano
2020 National Puerto Rican Day Parade -Junte Loizeño
About WABC-TV:
WABC-TV has been the leader in local news and entertainment programming in the New York City area for more than 60 years. Producing more than 45 hours of live, local news and weather each week, Channel 7 “Eyewitness News” is the most watched local news in New York and the United States. WABC-TV also produces “Live with Kelly and Ryan,” weekdays at 9:00 a.m., which is seen in more than 200 markets across the U.S. Quality news and programming, cutting-edge technology and ongoing community outreach are the hallmarks of excellence that have consistently kept WABC-TV New York’s No. 1 station and the most-watched television station in the nation.
About In the Heights:
In the Heights was filmed in New York, primarily on location in the dynamic community of Washington Heights, and fuses Lin-Manuel Miranda’s kinetic music and lyrics with director Jon M. Chu’s lively and authentic eye for storytelling to capture a world very much of its place, but universal in its experience. The film stars Anthony Ramos, Corey Hawkins, singer/songwriter Leslie Grace, Melissa Barrera, Olga Merediz, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Gregory Diaz IV, Stephanie Beatriz, Dascha Polanco and Jimmy Smits. Chu directed the film from a screenplay by Quiara AlegríaHudes, based on the musical stage play, music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, book by Quiara Alegría Hudes and concept by Miranda. Miranda, Hudes, Scott Sanders, Anthony Bregman and Mara Jacobs produced the film, with David Nicksay and Kevin McCormick serving as executive producers.
Warner Bros. Pictures presents a 5000 Broadway/BarrioGrrrl!/Likely Story/ SGS Pictures Production. A John M. Chu Film,In the Heights. Slated to open June 11,2021 in theaters and HBO MAX, the film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. pictures. It will be available on HBO MAX in UHD, HDR 10, Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos on supported devices for 31 days from theatrical release.