When the Puerto Rican Day Parade rolls down Fifth Avenue this Sunday, it’ll be the first time that parade leaves the space of virtual gatherings since 2019. But locals in Bushwick have not had to wait so long – down Knickerbocker Avenue, the parade has been a lively event in the pandemic era since last year. And it’s happening again this year. 

At 3pm on Sunday afternoon, the central Bushwick thorofare will be filled with “thousands upon thousands of families from across the world,” according to its organizers. Last year, Tony’s Pizzeria manager Salvatore Polizzi – who had been involved in putting together the first of these parades back in 2019 – said the theme had been “honoring both Wyckoff Hospital and Woodhull Hospital for their efforts in battling [the] COVID-19 pandemic.” According to Evette Lopez, one of the people involved with planning it this year, Polizzi resigned from the parade’s planning committee back in May.