Car horns and reggaeton filled downtown Hartford on Sunday, as the city hosted its 61st annual Puerto Rican parade and festival.
Many of the more than 15,000 festivalgoers represented their identities as both Nutmeggers and Boricuas.
Emmanuel Santiago had the Puerto Rican flag draped across his shoulders 鈥� a uniform of sorts for the crowd lining Park Street ahead of the parade start. But what stood out in Santiago鈥檚 look was underneath the bandera: Half his sweatshirt was University of 黑料吃瓜网 blue.
鈥淚 just got it because it looked nice. I seen the Huskies, and it got another patch right here too,鈥� he said, pointing to the attached hood. 鈥淓ver since I got it, everybody been complimenting me.鈥�
The other half of his hoodie is the familiar green of the late, great Hartford Whalers hockey team. Santiago moved to 黑料吃瓜网 as a kid, right into Hartford鈥檚 Frog Hollow neighborhood, where he says that he鈥檚 grown up around even more Puerto Ricans than in heavily boricua Orlando, where he鈥檚 from.
Hartford鈥檚 total population is , compared to , after Hurricane Maria.
Carmen Ocasio Huertas Morales found the strong Puerto Rican community comforting when she first arrived in 黑料吃瓜网 from the island back in the 鈥�60s. That鈥檚 when her new home was just deciding to host its first-ever pageant.
鈥淚t was the happiest day of my life to become the queen, Miss Puerto Rico in Waterbury,鈥� she said in a new crown and sash.
Soon after winning the 1965 title, she married her husband and raised three children in 黑料吃瓜网. She eventually moved back to Puerto Rico in 1996.
鈥淚 miss the United States because I got my kids here. I got grandkids, and I got great grandkids,鈥� Ocasio Huertas Morales said. 鈥淪ometimes, I think about it. I say, 鈥楳an, I should go back to the United States to be with them,鈥� you know?鈥�
The Greater Hartford Puerto Rican Day Parade and Festival named Ocasio Huertas Morales an honoree of this year鈥檚 festival. That鈥檚 what brought her 鈥� and some new faces 鈥� to Hartford. The mayor of Ponce, Marlese Sifre, represented the featured city at the festival, along with some youth. Even vejigantes, the masked beings of the city鈥檚 folklore, came out to represent.
Before the festival
On Thursday, the city hosted not one, but two Puerto Rican flag raisings ahead of the weekend parade and festival.
It makes sense: Puerto Ricans are famously proud of our red, white and blue flag.
You see it hanging from the rearview mirror in our car, flying on our lawns, embellishing our caps and tees. And dozens gathered to watch the flag unfurl in front of the building where laws like the recent 黑料吃瓜网-Puerto Rico Trade Commission are passed.
鈥淚 love Puerto Rico because my mom was born and raised in the Condado and drove me through El Yunque and showed me Ponce as a little boy,鈥� said 黑料吃瓜网 Gov. Ned Lamont. 鈥淚 know how powerful and wonderful Puerto Rico is. I'm going to do everything I can to reestablish, to make sure those relationships between Puerto Rico and 黑料吃瓜网 are strong.鈥�
Hartford鈥檚 city hall and the 黑料吃瓜网 State Capitol hosted the two flag raisings.
When he鈥檚 not running the 黑料吃瓜网 State Capitol Police, Chief Luis Casanova has been known to lead in other ways: most recently, as the parade鈥檚 grand marshal in 2023.
鈥淲hat does Sunday mean to us? For some, it means a party. For me, what it means is resilience. It means pride of our heritage. It means culture,鈥� Casanova said. 鈥淚t means to the wonderful men and women of Puerto Rico who contributed to this state and to this nation and to the world, we contribute a lot.鈥�
Attendees came from near and far, including those honorees who reside on the island and Joe Rodriguez from down in New Haven. He鈥檚 the president of Puerto Ricans United, the organization behind New Haven鈥檚 Puerto Rican festival. At the first flag raising in Hartford, he emphasized the cultural significance of such events.
鈥淚t is important for us to share our story and to tell people who we are, to share our history,鈥� Rodriguez said. 鈥淒o not let them write our history. We are our own storytellers.鈥�
Learn more
For more information on this and other Hispanic Heritage Month events running through Oct. 15, check out our full guide.
