PHOTOS: Puerto Rican People’s Day Parade in Humboldt Park celebrates culture and ‘a really good time’

The Fiestas Patronales Puertorriqueñas, dedicated to Puerto Rican culture, continues Sunday in the heart of Chicago’s Puerto Rican community.

SHARE PHOTOS: Puerto Rican People’s Day Parade in Humboldt Park celebrates culture and ‘a really good time’
Ayleen Torres, 1, wears a ribbon with a Puerto Rican flag design during Saturday’s Puerto Rican Day Parade on West Division Street in Humboldt Park.

Ayleen Torres, 1, wears a ribbon with a Puerto Rican flag design during Saturday’s Puerto Rican Day Parade on West Division Street in Humboldt Park.

Pat Nabong / Sun-Times

Editor’s note: A previous version of this article listed Mexican foods at the festival instead of Puerto Rican foods. We recognize the cultural and culinary differences and why we should not have highlighted Mexican dishes in the story about the Puerto Rican festival. Thanks to the readers who wrote in to flag this issue.

Hundreds gathered and cheered Saturday along Division Street as the Puerto Rican People’s Day Parade returned to Humboldt Park Saturday.

Parade-goers embraced the sunny, warm weather but stayed cool by setting up folding chairs in the shade and sharing shaved ice bought from vendors who lined the nearly mile-long parade route.

Parade goers dance Saturday during the Puerto Rican People’s Day Parade in the Humboldt Park neighborhood.

Parade goers dance Saturday during the Puerto Rican People’s Day Parade in the Humboldt Park neighborhood.

Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

The parade was a family affair for many, even calling home relatives who had left Chicago but found Chicago hadn’t left them.

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“It brings back memories of my childhood, of being here with my parents,” said Eddie Correa, who grew up in the West Side neighborhood but now lives in Tennessee. “I’m just enjoying every minute of it.” 

Joined by his nephew and grandnephew, Correa said it was his first time at the parade in a decade and that he was happy to “be part of the community” again.

“Embrace the culture, embrace the people, and have a really good time,” he said he’d tell anyone going to the parade for the first time.  

Eddie Correa (left) poses with his nephew Noel and grandnephew Jacob at the Puerto Rican People’s Day Parade Saturday in Humboldt Park.

Eddie Correa (right) poses with his nephew Noel and grandnephew Jacob at the Puerto Rican People’s Day Parade Saturday in Humboldt Park.

Violet Miller/Sun-Times

One of them was Kyra Navarrete, a lifelong Chicagoan who lives in Lake View. Navarrete said her family always attended the the Fiestas Patronales Puertorriqueñas, a festival dedicated to Puerto Rican culture that the parade is part of, but never made it to the parade because they were always late.

But this year she made it and brought her sister Vanessa and father Manny, who was in from Buffalo, New York.

“The spirit, the camaraderie, being with people who are likewise to yourself just celebrating the culture,” Navarrete said. “That’s the most important thing to me, just showing my sister where we come from.”

She said she planned to “go crazier with the outfit” next year and hoped to find the cropped shirt emblazoned with “Puerto Rican Princess” that she used to wear to the festival years ago.

Kyra Navarrate (left) poses with her father Manny and sister Vanessa on Saturday at the Puerto Rican People’s Day Parade in Humboldt Park.

Kyra Navarrete (left) poses with her father Manny and sister Vanessa on Saturday at the Puerto Rican People’s Day Parade in Humboldt Park.

Violet Miller/Sun-Times

Leslie Rupp, a Palmer Square resident who has attended the parade since she was a teenager, said seeing everyone’s Puerto Rican-themed ensembles was the big draw of the parade.

“Everyone spends months planning their outfits,” said Rupp, whose friends sometimes even dye their eyebrows to match their clothes. “Being Puerto Rican is Chicago culture.”

A vendor holds a hand fan with the Puerto Rican flag printed on it during the Puerto Rican People’s Day Parade Saturday.

A vendor holds a hand fan with the Puerto Rican flag printed on it during the Puerto Rican People’s Day Parade Saturday.

Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

Lorna Vando (left), the parade’s “cacica,” Joshuan Aponte (center), the “cacique,” and Valeria Méndez (in blue), the “cacica honorary, ride a float Saturday during the Puerto Rican Day Parade on West Division Street in the Humboldt Park neighborhood.

Lorna Vando (left), the parade’s “cacica,” Joshuan Aponte (center), the “cacique,” and Valeria Méndez (in blue), the “cacica honorary,” ride a float Saturday during the Puerto Rican Day Parade on West Division Street in the Humboldt Park neighborhood.

Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

A parade goer in a lowrider car waves a rainbow flag during the Puerto Rican People’s Day Parade Saturday.

A parade goer in a lowrider car waves a rainbow flag during the Puerto Rican People’s Day Parade Saturday.

Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

A cyclist rides near Humboldt Park’s Puerto Rican flag during the Puerto Rican People’s Day Parade on Saturday.

A cyclist rides near Humboldt Park’s Puerto Rican flag during the Puerto Rican People’s Day Parade on Saturday.

Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

Dancers perform during the Puerto Rican People’s Day Parade on Saturday in the Humboldt Park neighborhood.

Dancers perform during the Puerto Rican People’s Day Parade Saturday in the Humboldt Park neighborhood.

Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

People eating on a patio watch the Puerto Rican People’s Day Parade on Saturday in the Humboldt Park neighborhood.

People eating on a patio watch the Puerto Rican People’s Day Parade on Saturday in the Humboldt Park neighborhood.

Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

A parade goer laughs while watching the Puerto Rican People’s Day Parade on Saturday in the Humboldt Park neighborhood.

A parade goer laughs while watching the Puerto Rican People’s Day Parade on Saturday in the Humboldt Park neighborhood.

Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

A parade goer dances and smiles during the Puerto Rican People’s Day Parade on Saturday in the Humboldt Park neighborhood.

A parade goer dances and smiles during the Puerto Rican People’s Day Parade on Saturday in the Humboldt Park neighborhood.

Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

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