Sun-Drenched Puerto Rican Day Parade Thrills Fifth Ave.

MANHATTAN — The sun was out, and so were the crowds on Sunday, for one of the most anticipated parades of the year in New York: The Puerto Rican Day Parade.

More than 2 million parade-goers came out for the massive procession, which started at noon, and ran along Fifth Avenue and East 44th Street to East 79th Street in Manhattan.

Nearly 80,000 marchers, including groups of dancers, elaborate and flashy floats, and bands filled the avenue, all of the participants dressed in colorful national costumes.

Watching from the sidelines, Inez Volbe, 42, said she drove three hours from her home in Pennsylvania to see the parade. "It was worth every mile to get here, and I tell you, I'll be back again next year," she said.

"It's great to see everyone getting together and being united for our country."

Mayor Michael Bloomberg, as well as Governor Andrew Cuomo, and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn appeared at the parade, and several city and state elected officials also enjoyed the colorful celebration.

Guests of honor included New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz, who marched as Athlete of the Year. Knicks star Carmelo Anthony also walked the Puerto Rican Day Parade route.

Dressed to the nines in Puerto Rican colors and flags, New Yorkers with Puerto Rican heritage, and those without, came to celebrate the rich culture that has permeated New York City's culture since the Great Migration, when tens of thousands relocated from the island each year from 1950 onward.

The theme of this year's parade was Puerto Ricans in Higher Education, and appropriately, the festival's grand marshall was Felix Matos Rodriguez, president of Hostos Community College in the Bronx.

Diana Davila, 29, nurses assistant, said she'd staked out her spot, at East 59th St., since 9 a.m. "I was born and raised in Puerto Rico so I guess you could say I'm 100 percent," she said.

Twirling a rainbow umbrella to block the sun, she said attending the parade was a family tradition that couldn't be missed, even at the risk of a sunburn.

"You have to get here early to get a good spot," she said. "The sun isn't the best, but what are you going to do."

"I love the energy of the people, the commotion," she added. "It's a great day to celebrate our heritage."

According to their website, the first parade was held on April 13, 1958, in Spanish Harlem, in an effort to show the city about the strength and accomplishments of Puerto Ricans, and to generate support among other Latino immigrant groups.

Puerto Ricans continue to make up the largest Hispanic population in the city, at 31 percent, but according to the 2010 census the population has slipped to its lowest since 1960, at 725,000.

Additional reporting by Aidan Gardiner.