Annual Colombian Day Parade Held In Jackson Heights
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A sea of red, blue and yellow filled the streets of Jackson Heights Sunday for the annual Colombian Day Parade.
More than 75,000 people lined the parade route along Northern Boulevard waving their flags.
The sounds of Cumbia and salsa filled the air, along with the aroma of traditional Colombian food and treats.
"Having the music and people yelling 'viva Colombia' and everything else is amazing," said one parade-goer. "So it's like being a little bit close to him.
"Celebrating Colombian pride, being here in the United States for so many years, it's a great honor of being here enjoying the weather, enjoying the people, the culture," said another parade-goer.
In nearby Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, the Colombian Independence Day Celebration took place.
Organizers hope to make it an annual event after similar long-running festival was cancelled last year.
"New York is changing and Colombians are becoming as culturally significant as any other Latino community here," said Project Director Jorge Arevalo Mateus.
July 20, 1810 was Colombia's first attempt at independence from Spain.