The 44th annual Hispanic Day Parade began at noon, and dozens of floats traveled uptown from 44th to 72nd Streets.

"I love the Spanish heritage, the food, the culture, everything about it, the language," said one parade-goer. "And I'm just happy to be here."

"A lot of fun, I can't believe how this culture is, man," said another.

This year's grand marshals were soap opera stars Carmen Villalobos and Fabian Rios.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg and other elected officials attended.