SPRINGFIELD — On Sept. 15, rain or shine, hundreds of people will step off from the corner of Main and Wason streets at 11 a.m. with flags, floats and music for the 34th annual Springfield Puerto Rican Parade.
“Some people will say, ‘Everybody’s Puerto Rican on parade day,’” Sasha Viands said with a laugh. Viands is the president of the Springfield Puerto Rican Parade Committee.
The theme for this year’s parade is “Magia Boricua,” or “Puerto Rican Magic.” In a press release, the committee said the parade “challenges stereotypes, preserves heritage, and provides a vibrant platform for cultural expression, leaving a lasting legacy for future generations. It serves as a powerful symbol of pride, unity, and the rich traditions that bind the Puerto Rican community together.
Viands said the purpose of the parade is to “unite people from the diaspora. Being able to take a day to celebrate as a collective has been really special.” Last year, more than 10,000 people lined the roughly two-mile parade route, Viands said, adding that Springfield and Holyoke both have large Puerto Rican communities.
There is a vast amount of history behind the parade. Viands’ family has been involved since the tradition began as El Festival Del Barrio in 1990.
“People don’t realize, even though we were citizens and supposed to have all the same rights, but until the 60s, people weren’t allowed to wave the Puerto Rican flag,” Viands said, referring to the law prior to the establishment of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico in 1952. As a then-colony of the United States, only the American flag was allowed to be flown on the island.
She said that is why, each year, her uncle opens the parade by waving a large Puerto Rican flag on a 15-foot bamboo pole, which came from the island. It is “a symbolic, magical moment,” she said.
The parade continues to grow and change. In 2023, with new leadership at the helm, the Springfield Puerto Rican Parade Committee expanded the parade to include an after party at MGM. This year, after the parade ends at Boland Way, White Lion Brewing and the University of Massachusetts Amherst Center at Springfield will host a block party from 2-6 p.m. at the intersection of Main and Bridge streets.
Organizing such a large parade takes time. Viands explained, “We take a break for October and then we start planning [for the next year] in November.” The committee works with local and state police, and various city government departments to choreograph the hundreds of parade participants and thousands of spectators that gather for the event.
In the press release, the committee recognized the collaboration between community partners and organizations, Mayor Domenic Sarno, the Parks & Recreation Department, Springfield Police Superintendent Larry Akers, state Sen. Adam Gomez, state Rep. Carlos Gonzalez, City Councilor Maria Perez, UMass, White Lion, Salsa Sal Pa Fuera, Springfield Cultural Council and MGM Springfield.
The committee is working to expand its impact beyond the parade, Viands said. There are plans to sponsor Latino Scholarship Fund of Western Massachusetts. In years past, the committee has worked with Symphony Hall and the Springfield Museums. Viands said the organization may look to renew such partnerships and host annual galas to fundraise for initiatives to benefit the local Latino community.
