The National Puerto Rican Day Parade (NPRDP) Board of Directors announces plans for the 64th Annual celebration.
The highlight being a 2-hour television special to air on WABC-TV Channel 7 in New York and streamed live on abc7ny.com, on June 13, 2021, at 12 noon EDT.
The special program will be hosted by WABC-TV anchors Joe Torres and David Novarro, along with Sunny Hostin, co-host of “The View.”
This 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.
2021 Grand Marshals
This year’s celebration will feature the cast of Warner Bros.
Pictures’ In the Heights, the cinematic event of the summer from director Jon M. Chu based on the Broadway smash-hit musical from Lin-Manuel Miranda and Quiara AlegríaHudes.
The film features a Latino cast with several Puerto Ricans in prominent roles, including Anthony Ramos, Jimmy Smits, Gregory Diaz IV and Miranda himself.
The cast will serve as Grand Marshals of the 2021 Parade celebration and share their thoughts on growing up Puerto Rican or Latino in New York City, as well as reflect on their memories of going to the Parade.
In the Heights has touched millions, first as a Tony Award-winning musical and soon as a film, thanks to its universal story, which inspires audiences to hold onto their dreams while always honoring their roots.
Cultural Themes And Tributes
This 2021 NPRDP celebration will highlight the 500th Anniversary of the founding of San Juan Puerto Rico, which 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, a 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.
This year’s program will pay tribute to the legacy of Puerto Rican poetry, which continue to thrive and evolve today through modern-day poets, both on the archipelago and across the diaspora.
Additionally, two national symbols will get a spotlight:
A breed of horse, the iconic Puerto Rican Paso Fino, which is beloved for its intricate, natural gait that has made it a favorite in the show ring.
A traditional music and dance genre created in Puerto Rico that flourished during the 19th century, called la danza.
Virtual Gala FUNDRAISER
On Thursday, June 3, 2021, the NPRDP will host a virtual gala, featuring a special program that will begin with a cooking demonstration from acclaimed Puerto Rican Chef Ventura Vivoni.
Participants will learn to make his signature dish, arroz chulería, and enjoy their creations while Sunny Hostin, from ABC’s The View, moderates a conversation with the 2021 Grand Marshals and cast of the new movie In the Heights.
Ticket holders will receive a meal kit that includes the shelf-stable ingredients to make the dish, featuring brands from manufacturers in Puerto Rico.
Tickets can be purchased at www.nprdpinc.org/gala
The National Puerto Rican Day Parade Celebration will broadcast on WABC-TV, Channel 7 from
12:00pm-2:00pm on Sunday, June 13, 2021.
It will also be streamed on the station’s website abc7ny.com as well as on the station’s free news and connected TV apps on Amazon FireTV, Android TV, Apple TV, and Roku.
2020 Parade Broadcast Features:
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 to see: Historical Parade Footage
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 the theatrical release.
Photo credit; By Seitu Oronde.
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