Aurora Announces Puerto Rican Parade Will Return To Downtown in July
The city of Aurora and the Aurora Puerto Rican Cultural Council have decided that the 47th Annual Puerto Rican Heritage Parade will continue in downtown Aurora.
The announcement reverses a previous decision to cancel the downtown parade and host the annual festival at RiverEdge Park.
According to a city of Aurora news news release, the APRCC has decided to bring the festivities back to its original roots into the heart of downtown. The parade and festival will be held at noon Sunday, July 28, in downtown Aurora.
Immediately following the parade, the festival will commence in the recently renovated Public Lot B across from City Hall.
This summer, the Aurora Farmers Market will move its operations from the Aurora Transportation Center to the same location. Last year, the inaugural Ukulele Festival was held at this site.
Aurora Puerto Rican Cultural Council President Iris Miller said the community “responded with both support and disappointment when we announced the cancellation of the parade.”
“After seeing the potential opportunities available to us and with the support from the mayor, we are very excited to be able to work together to save the parade. We are asking everyone to come together to help make this year festivities a success,” Miller said.
In an effort to raise the $17,000 needed to host the parade and festival, APRCC launched a fundraising campaign on Go Fund Me at https://www.gofundme.com/2019-
“I firmly believe there is power in numbers,” said APRCC Vice President Mirna Lopez-Rivera during the media briefing held last week at Aurora City Hall. “Our parade is not just about Puerto Ricans. It is about a community coming together in celebration of diversity, heritage and culture. Far from being only a celebration for our local community, it is also a time when families who once lived in Aurora travel from Puerto Rico, Florida, New York and all over the country to spend time with their families. In essence, it is a family reunion.”
During the festival, the APRCC presents multicultural scholarships to graduating seniors and college students.
“While the parade and fest are about our heritage and past, they are also about our children and their future,” said Miller. “The youth of Aurora depend on us to help make their academic dreams come true. Making sure we continue this tradition has an impact on all of us.”
SOURCE: city of Aurora news release
