Thousands of people gather in Downtown Orlando for the annual Puerto Rican Parade

ORLANDO, Fla. — Channel 9 saw lots of island pride and spectators at the 2024 Puerto Rican parade and festival.

▶ WATCH CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS

The sounds of bongos, claves, and timbales echoed through the streets of Downtown Orlando on Saturday; from the professionals to the spectators, it was hard to resist moving to the beat.

This year, the Puerto Rican parade and festival were dedicated to Juncos, a tiny town on the east side of the island.

Read: Busy day in Orlando: Puerto Rican Parade, Magic Playoff impact downtown traffic

Juncos mayor Alfredo Alejandro Carrión told Channel 9 his heart was full watching Puerto Ricans in Orlando honor his town of about 40 thousand.

Today, about 400 thousand Puerto Ricans live in Central Florida, many of whom still feel a strong connection to the island.

Read: Watch the Florida Puerto Rican Parade on Channel 9

This year, the parade theme was civic engagement and responsibilities. Parade organizers want the thousands of spectators in this crowd to get involved in their community and use their voices.

Marcos Vilar was the parade godfather, and he said it’s his personal mission to get the community together.

SEE: 2024 Florida Puerto Rican Parade

“For years, we have been working to get the Puerto Rican vote out and the Latino vote out” Vilar said.

The organizers are already planning for next year’s parade, which will also happen in Downtown Orlando.

0 of 57