BY: Liliana Rocio, Senior Editor for World Liberty TV, @ 37^th St  & 6^th NYC, Sun Aug 11th  2024

The Dominican Day Parade, Inc. is a nonpartisan, 501(c)(3) nonprofit, that organizes the annual parade and festivities that promote the richness of the culture, folklore and popular traditions of the Dominican Republic.

The organization strives to provide an understanding of the heritage and contributions of the Dominican community in the United States of America and throughout the world.

The mission of the Dominican Day Parade of New York City is to celebrate the richness of the Dominican culture, folklore, and popular traditions.

The Parade highlights promote and acknowledge the heritage and contributions of the Dominican community in the United States and throughout the world.

The parade is a tradition beloved by the Dominican community, but it is only the tip of the iceberg for our organization! For us, the Dominican Day Parade is much more than a parade.

Throughout the year, we hold various events including food drives, the annual gala, and parade kick-off events in all five boroughs.

Understanding the value of education, the Dominican Day Parade takes great pride in providing scholarships and mentor opportunities to exceptional students of Dominican descent.

Through the funds raised from our annual gala, we granted $200,000 in scholarships in 2019 to support awardees through college and post graduate institutions.

Helping these promising young people continue to excel in their future ventures allows us to achieve our primary goal: to support and celebrate the Dominican community! We hope to see you at the parade this year! ¡Viva la Republica Dominicana!

During the 19th Century, this dance, due to its simplistic interpretation and dance, began to gain the attention of a wide spectrum of the society of the Dominican Republic.

Members of the isolated and poor social classes of the time found in merengue’s rhythm and dance a fun way in which to express everyday struggles, their efforts, victories, defeats, passions and aspirations.

This is the reason why through merengue, fragments of the popular Dominican history have been carried on. On the other hand, the wealthy and ruling class rejected the dance considering it immoral, coarse, and insipid.

Origins of Merengue: There is no precise date associated with the origins of merengue, thus we celebrate the dates of its documentation, though we understand that its existence must have predated the appearance of articles by pompous journal critics on the subject between the years of 1854 and 1875.

Innovations in New York: Dominicans in New York have contributed to the changes registered in the rhythm of merengue by adding new combinations which have allowed the birth of fusions such as the meren-house and the meren-reague both of which have a poly-rhythmic richness.

There is yet another theory, which indicates that it is the product of the combination of internal and external rhythms; African, Spanish and native.

In this regard, the late teacher Fradique Lizardo indicated that the arrival of slaves from the “Bara” tribe to the Caribbean led to the dissemination of a rhythm called merengue all over the region, subsequently having variations amongst the Caribbean islands.

As we approach the 42nd anniversary of the National Dominican Day Parade, we are set to celebrate this year’s theme, “Merengue: Nuestro Ritmo.”

This theme recognizes Merengue as more than just music—it’s a vital part of our cultural fabric, embodying joy, resilience, and the community spirit deeply rooted in Dominican identity. The parade will take place on Sunday, August 11th, beginning at noon along the Avenue of the Americas from 37th to 55th Street.

 

Cristina Contreras, Chair of the National Dominican Day Parade Board of Directors, shared this year’s lineup of distinguished honorees and dedicated sponsors at the press conference.

“We extend our sincere thanks to our honorees and sponsors, whose support and dedication not only makes our parade possible but also deepens our commitment to celebrating our rich Dominican heritage.

This year, with ‘Merengue: Nuestro Ritmo,’ we look forward to bringing together the community to celebrate the enduring spirit of our culture,” said Cristina Contreras.

The National Dominican Day Parade, Inc. is a nonpartisan, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that champions the culture and traditions of the Dominican people in the United States. This annual event, along with other year-long festivities, serves as a vital platform for education, community empowerment, and cultural celebration.

ABOUT: National Dominican Day Parade, Inc. is a nonpartisan, 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation that mentors and empowers youth in their higher educational endeavors, organizes an annual gala and a parade (2nd Sunday in the month of August) along with year-long festivities that promote the richness of the culture, folklore and popular traditions of the Dominican Republic.

The organization strives to provide deeper knowledge about the heritage and contributions of people of Dominican descent in the United States and elsewhere in the world. We present various events that highlight our people and community.

It was world Liberty TV, Team’s 15^th Annual appearance at the Dominican day parade-2024, it seems to be getting bigger and better every year. Thousands of people lined up 6^th Ave, waving flags shouting top of their voices, in joy while people in floats, Politicians and Grand marshals passed by.

VIP Dignitaries included: New York State Governor, Kathy Hochul, Mayor Eric Adams, Senator Chuck Schumer, Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, New York City Public Advocate, Jumaane Williams, and many more from the political and entertainment worlds.

See more about the 42^nd annual Dominical day parade 2024, by clicking here.