ALLENTOWN, Pa. — The Lehigh Valley Puerto Rican Parade will march down Hamilton Street in center-city Allentown on Sunday, July 19, returning to the corridor after recent editions were routed elsewhere in the city.
The parade anchors a daylong celebration of Puerto Rican heritage, organized by Puertorrican Culture Preservation Inc., the Allentown nonprofit that stages the annual event, in a city home to roughly 33,000 residents of Puerto Rican origin, the largest Hispanic group in Allentown.
This year also brings a venue change: the food, culture, arts, and music festival moves to the Allentown Fairgrounds.
The festival lineup features live performances by Giro, Zafra Black, Hector Rosado and his Hache Orchestra, and Manny Rivera y Los Brothers Band.
The day begins with a flag-raising ceremony at 11 a.m. at Allentown City Hall, at Fourth and Hamilton streets, followed by the parade at noon and the festival at 1 p.m. Festivities run until 7 p.m.
The parade steps off downtown on Hamilton Street and travels west about a mile, finishing at Hamilton and Madison streets. From there, the fairgrounds are roughly a half-mile walk, about 10 to 15 minutes, continuing west on Hamilton and north on 17th Street.
Those driving to the festival can go directly to the fairgrounds at 302 N. 17th St., approaching from the north via Chew Street to avoid the parade closure.
Hamilton Street will be closed to traffic from Fourth Street to Madison Street beginning at 8 a.m., with participant setup from Fourth to Fifth streets starting at 8:30 a.m. Organizers are billing the return to Hamilton Street as a homecoming, declaring “La Parada regresa a su hogar,” or “the parade returns to its home.”
The parade will feature floats, music, and a celebration of Puerto Rican culture and traditions. In 2024, the parade was held on Fifth Street with the festival at Executive Education Academy Charter School on Union Boulevard.
The festival at the fairgrounds is free and open to families, with live music, Puerto Rican food, crafts, and vendors. Sunday’s forecast calls for a dry day with a high near 80 degrees.
Puertorrican Culture Preservation describes itself as a group of Puerto Rican residents of Allentown working to teach young people about the island’s history and culture.
The organization is accepting sponsorships at levels ranging from $1,000 to $5,000, with packages named after Puerto Rican cultural symbols, including the coqui frog, the cuatro, and the flor de maga, the island’s national flower.
Businesses and community groups can also register to march in the parade or set up as festival vendors through the organization’s website.
The nonprofit’s next event, a back-to-school giveaway, is scheduled for Aug. 8.
