Dominican Day Parade 2018: Start Time, Route, Streets Closed

NEW YORK, NY — The Dominican Day Parade is one of the biggest parties of the year in New York City and a celebration of all things Dominican culture. Organizers are expecting more than 10,000 people to flood the streets of Midtown Manhattan on Sunday, August 12 to celebrate this year's parade.

Of the nearly 1.5 million people of Dominican heritage living in the United States, nearly half (48 percent) live in New York, according to the Pew Research Center. In fact, more Dominicans live in New York City than any other city in the world except Santo Domingo.

This year's parade theme is "Our Youth, Our Future," and the festivities will be led by bachata superstar Prince Royce, parade organizers said. Prince Royce was born and raised in the Bronx to a family with roots in the Dominican Republic.

"It is an incredible honor to be chosen as the Grand Marshal of the 2018 Dominican Day Parade, especially during a year that it focuses on our youth. I grew up watching the parade and to be leading it this year will definitely be a blast," Prince Royce said in a statement.

Here's everything you need to know if you're going to the parade Sunday.

What time does the parade start and end?

This year's celebration will kick of with a special ceremony at 10:30 a.m., according to parade organizers, but the actual parade won't start until noon. The parade is scheduled to last until 5 p.m.

What is the route for this year's parade and will there be street closures?

The parade will be held in Midtown on Sixth Avenue. Marchers will begin on Sixth Avenue at 38th Street and will continue down the avenue until 52nd Street.

The main parade route and several side streets will be closed to traffic for the duration of the parade. Here are the closures as announced by the Department of Transportation.

Formation:

• 36th Street between Broadway and 5th Avenue
• 37th Street between Broadway and 5th Avenue
• 38th Street between Broadway and 5th Avenue

Route:

• 6th Avenue between 36th Street and 52nd Street

Dispersal:

• 52nd Street between 5th Avenue and 7th Avenue

The NYPD may shut down additional streets should it be deemed neccessary.

What's the easiest way to get to the parade?

The easiest way to get to the parade from Washington Heights and Inwood — the epicenter of New York City's Dominican community — will be by public transportation. Driving is not worth it because too many streets will be closed off near the parade and finding parking in Midtown is nearly impossible.

The quickest way to get near the parade route would be to take either the 1 train down to Times Square or the A train to Port Authority and walk from there.

Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images News/Getty Images