2013 National Puerto Rican Day Parade

The epic journey continues. For the second year in a row, CAMARADAS El Barrio was invited to march in the National Puerto Rican Day Parade. For that, we once again thank Rafael E. Dominguez who, regardless of the struggles the leadership may be experiencing, has been an encouragement and a professional to our establishment. The logistics, which of course include NYPD and other City departments, were organized and flowed well.

The National Puerto Rican Day Parade is truly an important institution, and we are thankful to all the people behind it, and honored to be a part of it.

This year, the wonderful spirit we know as Marthalicia Matarrita, painted three additional Puerto Rican icons onto placards for us to “walk with the immortals”, as a friend would say. In commemorating this year’s theme of “Salud: celebrating your health”, we added Helen Rodriguez-Trias. We also added Lola Rodriguez de Tió and Eugenio María de Hostos.

Of course, CAMARADAS El Barrio embraces the spirit of our local living icons as well — the ones that work and hang out with us in Spanish Harlem every week, and the ones who inspire us, and the Puerto Rican nation.

Just being among a sea of crazy beautiful people cheering, yelling, laughing and just taking over the heart of New York City, just because we are connected and rooted to a small island in the Caribbean known as Puerto Rico is a great experience. And just like the parade leadership, that island too is in a state of flux, but filled with beautiful people we want to keep connected to.

CAMARADAS El Barrio celebrates that connection, that social and spiritual journey of the Puerto Rican and Caribbean diaspora every day through its menu, its music, art and camaraderie. And we are thankful to all those who give us the opportunity to bring our Puerto Rican gastro-pub out into the open, amongst our people and their journeys.

Pa’lante.