+1 icechute. Certainly a celebration that only certain cultures seem to celebrate.

I've lived in Paulus Hook for the past 10 years and this year was by far the most tame (not much litter, noise, public urination), probably due to the weather and the economy - between now and next year I'll certainly be praying for a heavy downpour/hurricane/tsunami/blizzard for next year's "celebration".

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Just keep telling yourself that it wasn't a broken window, but a "celebration of cultural diversity".

I was getting takeout at Komegashi last night and parked near the old Bank Building on Montgomery. When I came out, someone had broken one of the front windows. I think the owner of the Waterfront Wine and Liquors store saw the guy. Hopefully they caught him.

mfadam - agreed. The residents in my building did sign a petition asking to turn off the music earlier or turn down the volume but it got nowhere.

the good news is that due to city cash cutbacks, there were very few parades down Montgomery this year. Hopefully the cash is tight for the long haul as the noise level last summer was quite annoying.

I feel for those living near Exchange Place as bass noise gets you no matter how high up you live. The intelligent thing would be for the city to allow the yelling up til say 6PM.

"Por favor! Pleaso turno down el noiso!"

I don't understand why they can't shut the music down or lower the volume past 8 p.m. Some people who live in the area have children who are trying to sleep, or have jobs where they have to be up early. The volume is ridiculous and the city won't do anything about it because they have a "permit" until 10 p.m. Is it necessary for the guy to scream in the microphone every 5 seconds? I am on a high floor in my building and have soundproof windows and can't believe how loud it is!

The guy is screaming on his microphone and it's pouring out there!! There's no way there are many people out there that are listening to him. I called the non-emergency number for the jcpd and she said they have a permit to keep going until 10pm. Does anyone else think that's crazy for a Sunday night?!

My building filed a petition to not have it go so late last year but obviously that didn't do anything.

It's still going on!!!! It's after 9pm on Sunday and the music is blasting!!

I just got in from a weekend away. Did they have the parade in the rain?

Next week the Polish will be bouncing about in Paulus Hook. Parading too? I'm not sure. I bet they'll take better care of a neighborhood they don't live in than many JC residents do in their own hoods. But I'm full of hot air.

Thank Mother Nature for rain.

Anyone know when this thing is ending?! I'm getting tired of the blasting music and guy screaming on his microphone...

Walking along 6th Street the day after the Italian Festival wrapped up, I couldn't help but notice what a bang up job they did cleaning up the block. There was quite a bit of trash floating around this morning and tonight there is barely a trace of anything there. Kudos to the cleanup crew.

I know most of you are haters....

But this may change your mind!!!!


.Grand Marshall - Original Menudo Member - Johnny Lozada

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For the record, the Bolivian and Ecuadorian festivals held on 8/7 and 8/8 were quite peaceful and orderly. I did not witness any disorderly conduct.

I think all public gatherings like this produce equivalent volumes of trash, disorder, and vandalism. It would be better if this event could be confined to a public park so cleanup is easier and private property isn't damaged. This is what upsets people.

It's always fun to go any park immediately after an Earth Day celebration and notice all the plastic bottles, trash, and posters littered everywhere.

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You never heard of Octoberfest?

I love how the Fireworks were cancelled in Jersey City which celebrates all of our heritage. But somehow we can have 90 ethnic parades.

It seems that cultural pride celebrations always carry a stigma about them, some true, many not. I can't remember the last time a knife fight or vandalism broke out at a Chinese New Year parade, yet it seems to be more likely to happen with festivities revolving around Hispanic/Latin American cultures. Same with St. Paddies Day. Being of German decent myself, I'm not really blessed to be able to march around in the street celebrating my heritage for various "historical" reasons/blunders.

What a waste of time, money and inconvenience to everyone with road closures - Let it be held in some hall and dump the parade crap - unless its a boob parade !

Believe me, as bad as it is, it is NOTHING like it was....

15 years ago, the "festival" lasted 4 days (Thursday through Sunday) and for a couple of years it was set up at the foot of Jersey Ave., just south of Grand. This was before the hospital and light rail were built.

The noise, filth, fights, etc. were beyond description.

eliquineli4, you must not live along or near the parade route. The mess and lack of respect for other people's private and public space is apparant. Last year (or maybe the year before) there was a knife fight right in front of my building in exchange place. There is piss all of our building and garbage everywhere.

Last year there was a guy blasting his music from his car as I was walking into my building (the parade was already over at this point). I didn't even look at him and he just starts yelling at me that he has a right to hang out there and play his music if he wanted because it was HIS day. He was just looking to instigate something.

It is a nightmare and a weekend I usually try to get away.

I go to the PR parade with my little girl and have never had any problems or have seen any kind of rowdiness. Not like the disgusting drunkenness that starts a 9am for St. Patrick's day. That's when I choose choose to stay away! Your comments make ashamed to share the same city/state.

Damn, Montgomery street will be the usual mess, including my front porch and garden...
I had been pleased with the geberal lack of 'ethnic' parades this year.
C'est la vie in JC.....

I make it a point to be out of the city this day. Then just deal with damage later.

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Not a fair bet; we all already know the answer.

(yell if you need help cleaning up)

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Bets are now being taken as to whether or not my block will look like the Staten Island dump afterwards.

Bets are now being taken as to whether or not there will be a Mariano Vega sighting.

50 years of celebrating
PR Parade launches Aug. 22 with Downtown festival

by Ricardo Kaulessar
Reporter Staff Writer

In 1961, a group of Puerto Ricans ? Rafael Rodriguez, Diego Berrios, Juan Benitez, Primitivo Valle, Rafael Bou and Santiago Bonilla ? saw a need for cultural identification and organized the first Puerto Rican Day Parade in Jersey City.

What began as a small marching group and a caravan of cars has grown into what is considered to be the largest parade celebrating Puerto Rican culture in New Jersey.

The parade celebrates its 50th year on Sunday, Aug. 22 in Jersey City. Beginning at 1 p.m., thousands of spectators will come out to see the procession make its way from Lincoln Park on the city?s west side all the way to Grove Street in front of City Hall.

Accompanying the parade will be an a two-day festival Aug. 21 and 22 at Exchange Place near the Hudson River waterfront.
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Accompanying the parade is an all-day festival on Aug. 21-22 at Exchange Place.
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The parade is also a chance for old-timers and newcomers to see hundreds of floats and marchers display pride and unity with the island of Puerto Rico.

Biggest yet

Armando Roman, president of the Puerto Rican Heritage Festival and Parade Committee, said this parade will be the biggest ever in the two terms he has served as president of the committee (1991-1995 and 2009-2010). He said among this year?s parade honorees will be U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez and Hudson County Freeholder Eliu Rivera, a native of Puerto Rico.

Roman also said the parade will include contingents from three Puerto Rico towns ? Ai Bonito, Cayey and Salinas ? with their own floats. For Roman, the Jersey City Fire Department director who grew up in downtown Jersey City, it is an opportunity to celebrate a tradition in which he?s participated most of his life.

?It is wonderful, as a Puerto Rican and a Jersey City resident, to see this parade continue and grow to what it is now,? Roman said.

One Montgomery Street resident who lives not far from Exchange Place with her husband and two children had mixed feelings about the parade and festival.

?I know a lot of parades and festivals happen during the summer right outside our building,? the resident said. ?They look like fun, but the festivals can be noisy when they happen right where you live.?

Celebrating where we come from

A preview of the parade?s pomp and pageantry was offered when the contestants were announced for the Little Miss Puerto Rico Pageant, which will take place on Aug. 14.

The 14 girls competing in the pageant in three age groups came out to City Hall on July 30, along with friends and family, for the announcement. Before and afterwards, attendees reflected on the parade turning 50.

Wanda Rodriguez, who has lived in Jersey City for the past 15 years, is one of the coordinators of the pageant and has taken part in the parade since she moved here.

?This shows that we stay together as a community, that there?s still unity amongst Puerto Ricans,? said Rodriguez.

The parade is a year-round affair. Planning for next year?s parade will start a few weeks after the current parade ends. That includes electing a president and committee members to put together an extensive calendar of events leading up to the parade (see sidebar).

Linda Castro, whose 8-year-old daughter Chrissalina Colon will compete in the pageant, sees the parade?s continuing success as a lesson for the younger generation.

?Celebrating our Spanish heritage for this long will definitely show our youth how wonderful it is, and prepare them to continue this parade for the future,? Castro said.

Ricardo Kaulessar can be reached at rkaulessar@hudsonreporter.com.

Puerto Rican parade calendar

The following events will lead up to the 50th Annual Puerto Rican Parade and Festival:

8/14 ? Little Miss, Junior Miss and Miss Puerto Rico Pageant. Middle School 7, 222 Laidlaw Ave., 5 p.m.

8/16 ? Puerto Rican Flag Raising Ceremony, City Hall, 280 Grove St., 6 p.m.

8/18 ? Flag Raising Ceremony, Brennan Courthouse, 583 Newark Ave., 6 p.m.

8/19 ? Puerto Rican Traveling Theater performance and concert, Ferris High School, 35 Colgate St., 5 p.m.

8/20 ? Gala Banquet at Casino in the Park, Lincoln Park, 7 p.m.

Read more: Hudson Reporter - 50 years of celebrating PR Parade launches Aug 22 with Downtown festival