Puerto Rican Parade and Festival

 The annual Cleveland Puerto Rican Parade was held Sunday August 7th. The Parade was put on by the Hispanic Police Officers' Association (HPOA) which has been proudly serving it's members and the greater Cleveland community since it was founded in 1986.

The 2022 Parade Honorees were:

• Ramonita Vargas, Grand Marshal
• Victor Ruiz, Padrino
• Keisha González, Madrina
• Zaria Ivelisse Ortiz, Miss Teen Puerto Rico 2022

Click on the white arrow below to watch a video of some highlights of the Parade including former Cleveland Indians Carlos Baerga and Candy Maldonado. I did not include the cars and other vehicles in the parade - they will be in a separate video. I also did not include the many politicians in the parade.

See lots of pictures and video of the Puerto Rican Parade and Festival

Sister Alicia Alvarado

Sister Alicia Alvarado was born in Villalba, Puerto Rico.  Her work in Cleveland and Northeast Ohio has earned her the moniker of “The patron saint of the local Hispanic Community”. 

There are many “firsts” in her history including being the First Hispanic woman on the Board of Trustees of Cuyahoga Community College and serving as Executive Assistant to Cleveland’s first Hispanic Councilman Joe Santiago for Ward 14. 

Sister Alicia has received numerous awards for her work in social justice and her ministry among the Hispanic population.

See more about Sister Alicia Alvarado

On April 17, 2018 Sister Alicia will be inducted into the Cleveland International Hall of Fame.  More about the Cleveland International Hall of Fame induction event and how you can participate

Multicultural Fashion Show Part 4: Palestine to Zambia

The Multicultural Fashion Show at the 7th annual Cleveland Multicultural Holiday Celebration put on by the International Community Council Worldwide Intercultural Network (ICC-WIN) in Cleveland at the Global Center for Health Innovation continued.

120 people participated in the fashion show and each walked the runway to music from their country.

The fourth group included fashions from Palestine, Puerto Rico, Russia, Senegal, Serbia, Tanzania and Zambia.

Ethnic communities in Cleveland

2015 Cleveland Puerto Rican Parade highlights

Some highlights from the 2015 annual Puerto Rican Parade in Cleveland.  http://www.clevelandpeople.com/groups/puertorican/puertorican.htm

Get to School message before Puerto Rican parade

Cleveland Metropolitan School District teachers, students and others gathered to say “Get to School. You can make it” before lining up for the annual Puerto Rican Parade in Cleveland.  http://www.clevelandpeople.com/groups/puertorican/puertorican.htm

Nuestra Cultura drummers before Puerto Rican parade

Some drummers from Nuestra Cultura jammed before lining up for the annual Puerto Rican Parade in Cleveland.  http://www.clevelandpeople.com/groups/puertorican/puertorican.htm

Diversity Center Awards

The 60th annual Humanitarian Award Dinner of the Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio honored Rick Chiricosta, President and CEO of Medical Mutual of Ohio, and Jose C. Feliciano, Partner at Baker Hostetler.


ClevelandPeople.Com congratulates these two worthy choices and gives a special shout out to our Puerto Rican and Hispanic Ambassador, Jose Feliciano

Jose Feliciano Jr and Sr. at the Diversity Center event

Puerto Rican Parade

The annual Puerto Rican Parade and Latino Festival was held in Cleveland the weekend of August 3-5, 2012.

The event is put on by the Julia de Burgos Cultural Arts Center. The Center is dedicated to preserving and sharing the Puerto Rican and Caribbean traditions through the teaching and practice of the visual, performing, & literary arts.

2012 marks the 44th celebration of the Puerto Rican Parade in the City of Cleveland. The Parade & festivities are a great historical tradition that has united Clevelanders and Northeast Ohioans for decades.

4 pages of photos and a video of the parade highlights.