Aurora’s Annual Puerto Rican Day Parade Canceled After 45 Years

AURORA, IL — The Aurora Puerto Rican Cultural Council has canceled its annual Puerto Rican festival and parade, scheduled for the end of July, to focus on being fiscally responsible, according to the Chicago Tribune. The council announced the cancellation via email and said it would not hold the parade because of a coinciding event on the same Sunday and due to budgetary concerns.

Council President Jalitza Colon-Martinez said the decision will help the council maintain its presence in the community for the long-run.

“This was an extremely difficult decision that our new leadership did not want to make; however, the amount of deficit we are working against has to be addressed,” she said.

In a Facebook post, the council said this hiatus is temporary and it plans to return next year by hosting its Heritage Parade and Festival again on the weekend of July 28-29, at RiverEdge Park in downtown Aurora.

"We will continue working expeditiously to deliver an amazing festival and parade in 2018 that our community deserves and that our predecessors would be proud of," Colon-Martinez said.

Photo Courtesy the APRCC