New York.- The tricolor flag will once again take over Manhattan’s Sixth Avenue this Sunday with the celebration of the 44th edition of the Dominican Day Parade in New York, a day that will bring together thousands of people and will require the deployment of a large traffic, transport, and security operation amidst temperatures that could reach 92 degrees Fahrenheit (33 °C).
The traditional cultural parade will begin at 11:00 in the morning on Sunday, August 9 and will travel along the Avenue of the Americas, in Midtown, from approximately 37th Street to 55th Street. This year the celebration is taking place under the theme “Identity and Culture”, with the participation of community representatives, artists, organizations, and institutions linked to the Dominican diaspora.
The parade will cause significant changes to mobility in Midtown Manhattan. The New York Police Department (NYPD) may close Sixth Avenue between 36th and 55th Streets, while several sections used to organize and subsequently disperse participants will also be affected.
Among the areas designated for training are Sixth Avenue between 37th and 38th Streets; 36th Street between Broadway and Fifth Avenue; and 37th and 38th Streets between Fifth and Seventh Avenues. Upon conclusion of the route, 55th Street between Fifth and Seventh Avenues will also be restricted.
The restrictions will not only affect those traveling in private vehicles. The event will cause changes to bus routes and access to the subway system, so authorities recommended that passengers check for updates from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) before heading toward Midtown.
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The day will also feature heat as a protagonist. The forecast anticipates mostly sunny conditions and maximum temperatures near 92 °F (33 °C), with lows around 76 °F (24 °C). Given the possibility of spending several hours in open spaces, attendees should take precautions against prolonged exposure to high temperatures.
The NYPD will also implement a special surveillance device that includes uniformed officers, counterterrorism units, mounted police, trained dogs, helicopters, and drones. The measures seek to ensure safety during the route and control access to different points of the celebration.
The operation takes on special relevance after the incidents recorded during another Dominican celebration held at the end of July in The Bronx, where 16 people were arrested for crimes related to firearms, including a 19-year-old who was allegedly carrying an assault rifle.
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Authorities plan to maintain a police presence even after the formal route concludes. Part of the deployment will move during the afternoon and evening toward Washington Heights and Inwood, areas where the Dominican community’s celebrations traditionally continue.
This year’s edition will feature Dr. Ramón Tallaj, founder of SOMOS Community Care, as Grand Marshal, while Frederick Martínez “El Pachá” will be the king of the parade. Other announced personalities include Shino Aguakate and Lizbel Ortiz, and Goya Foods will receive a legacy award.
Beyond the celebration, the parade once again highlights the weight of the Dominican community in New York. Approximately 663,000 Dominicans currently reside in the city, mainly in The Bronx and Upper Manhattan, and they continue to constitute the largest foreign-born Hispanic diaspora in the city.
With music, flags, floats, and Dominican cultural expressions occupying one of Manhattan’s main corridors, the celebration will once again turn Sixth Avenue into a meeting point for the diaspora, although this Sunday those who intend to participate must add three important factors to the party: intense heat, limited mobility, and strict security controls.
