Hundreds Gather for Puerto Rican Heritage Day Parade in Newark

Hundreds of spectators joined local, county and state officials Sunday afternoon in Newark for the 50th annual statewide Puerto Rican Heritage Day Parade.

The parade kicked off at noon at Lincoln Park on Broad Street and traveled north to Military Park, where it ended with a festival.

The event saluted the Puerto Rican city of Arecibo and the 75th anniversary of Goya Foods.

Retired U.S. Army specialist Jeans Cruz, who helped capture Saddam Hussein in 2003, and Miguel Lugo, vice president of finance at Goya Foods, were the Grand Marshals.

The parade's "Godmother" was Wells Fargo Vice President Lissette Morales, while Newark Municipal Court Judge Amilkar Velez-Lopez and Mega 97.9 radio host Joel Santiago served as "Godfathers." Essex County College professor Luis Lopez, who was one of Newark's first Puerto Rican school principals, was "Newark Grand Marshal." Independent documentary film producer-director Donna Roman-Hernandez served as "Essex Grand Marshal."

— Mitsu Yasukawa