Puerto Rican parade and festival brightens up the streets of Roxbury

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Miss Latina Elegance models wave to the crowd gathered for the Puerto Rican parade in Roxbury. (Libby O’Neill/Boston Herald)

Hundreds of people waved red, white and blue flags along the streets of Roxbury and Franklin Park on Sunday during the annual Puerto Rican parade and festival.

Boston’s lively 57th annual Puerto Rican Parade kicked off at noon, starting on Columbus Street across from Roxbury Community College and winding through the neighborhood to end on Piedmont Drive. The festival, which began at 2 p.m. Saturday, continued after the parade on Sunday, with vendors and performers filling Franklin Park.

The festival featured food, artisans, a Ferris wheel, other rides, a health fair, and featured numerous artists from the Boston area and beyond, playing music ranging from hip-hop to salsa.

In advance of the weekend’s festivities, Goya Foods donated 30,000 pounds of food to Catholic Charities of Boston in honor of the 57th anniversary of the Puerto Rican Festival of Massachusetts. Throughout the week, volunteers from the Latino Law Enforcement Group of Boston, Boston Police and Suffolk County Sheriff’s Departments helped unload the produce and deliver 3,000 bags of food to local community members.

Summer events continue with the Feast of Saint Agrippina from August 1-4 in the North End, the Colombian Independence Festival on Border Street on August 10 in East Boston, and the Feast of Madonna Della Cava from August 8-11 in the North End.

Roberto Clemente 21 dancers perform as they march down Columbus Avenue during the Puerto Rican parade in Roxbury. (Libby O’Neill/Boston Herald)

Parade participants wave from their vehicles during the Puerto Rican parade in Roxbury on Sunday. (Libby O’Neill/Boston Herald)

People cheer on participants in the Puerto Rican parade. (Libby O’Neill/Boston Herald)

Estrella Tropicales, a dance team from Roxbury, performs as they march down Columbus Avenue during the Puerto Rican parade in Roxbury. (Libby O’Neill/Boston Herald)

See more at Boston Herald