Puerto Rican heritage celebrated at Bridgeport’s annual parade

Crowds of people lined Park Avenue and filled Seaside Park on Sunday as Bridgeport celebrated the annual Puerto Rican Day Parade, transforming the city’s South End into a sea of red, white and blue flags, music, dancing and community pride.

The parade began at Central High School before making its way down Park Avenue to Seaside Park, where families gathered for traditional food, live music and cultural performances celebrating Puerto Rican heritage.

For many, the day was about more than a parade. It was a chance to celebrate a culture that has long helped shape Bridgeport while bringing together generations of residents under one shared identity.

Professional boxer Jacob “Lefty” Marrero, a Bridgeport native, said the parade is one of the few times each year when the community comes together on such a large scale.

“I think it’s an amazing, amazing day,” Marrero said. “I’m Puerto Rican … we got a lot of great talent, culture. It’s just coming out here to celebrate the culture and enjoy the community.”

Asked what he hopes people take away from the celebration, Marrero pointed to the unity on display.

“When we all come together, we come shine together,” he said. “We pop out.”

That sense of pride stretched across generations.

Marisa Bel Colon, the first Miss Teen Puerto Rico in 1995, marched alongside girls she has spent the past 16 years teaching as a volunteer dance instructor.

“After my journey, I started doing dance,” Colon said. “We’ve been together for 16 years … teaching voluntarily with all these girls.”

For Colon, the parade represents more than a yearly tradition. It is an opportunity to pass Puerto Rican culture to the next generation through dance, performance and community involvement.

Retired Police Chief Rebeca Garcia also sees the celebration as a way to honor those who came before while inspiring those who will come next.

Garcia, who served the city of Bridgeport for 32 years and became the city’s first female Latina police chief, said attending the parade each year is deeply personal.

“It’s important for me to be here to continue the legacy and continue the celebration of our culture,” Garcia said. “I am proud to be here.”

She said she hopes the parade reminds people that Bridgeport’s Puerto Rican community has always been rooted in unity.

“I want the people to know that we are an embracing culture, that we want to work together,” Garcia said. “United we stand, divided we all fall. So let’s stand together.”

That sense of unity echoed throughout the day as families waved Puerto Rican flags from parade floats, children danced in traditional dress, musicians filled the streets with rhythm and spectators cheered along the parade route. For many attendees, the annual celebration was more than a cultural tradition. It was a tribute to the generations of Puerto Rican families who have helped shape Bridgeport while ensuring their heritage continues to thrive.

As the parade concluded at Seaside Park, the music, food and festivities continued, reinforcing a message heard throughout the day: Puerto Rican culture remains a vibrant part of Bridgeport’s identity.