ORLANDO, Fla. ( FNN) – On Tuesday, Florida Puerto Rican Parade & Festival organizers held a press conference at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel at SeaWorld to provide details about the 2024 parade and festival, and related events across Orlando.

The Parade

The annual parade will kick off April 27th at 11:00 am, at Rosalind Avenue and Robinson Street, ending at Orange Avenue and Amelia Street, Downtown Orlando.

Organizers are hoping the appointment of Dr. Arcilio Alvaradoa as Ambassador of Latin America communities can also help increase attendance from last year’s 25,000 attendees to 50,000 this year.

Florida Puerto Rican Parade Chairman Ralph Morales (center) parade Grand Marshal Betsy Franceschini (left) and parade Godfather Marcos Vilar (right) spoke spoke about the parade’s preparations during the press conference. Photo by Florida National News

Ralph Morales, Chairman of the Florida Puerto Rican Parade announced the names of key individuals who will have a major role in the parade this year.

• Grand Marshal
  Betsy Franceschini is the former Florida Director, Hispanic Federation, former Florida Regional Director, Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration, former District Deputy Director, former US Congressman Alan Grayson, and Central Florida Hispanic Outreach Director, Florida Democratic Party.
• Parade Godfather
  Marcos Vilar is the chairman of United for Progress PAC, Principal of Vilar Strategy Group, LLC, President of Alianza for Progress and Alianza Center, former National Field Director of Mi Familia Vota, and former Political Director of SEIU.
• Parade Godmother
  Angélica Torres Figueroa is a social media influencer. She’s better known as Candy Lover who garnered over 5.4 million Facebook followers.

Morales also announce that the 2024 Parade will be dedicated to the municipality of Juncos, Puerto Rico.

The Puerto Rican Parade and Festival are the signature events of the FLPRP organization and provide our residents with an opportunity to highlight the rich Puerto Rican community culture, heritage, and contributions to the state of Florida, according to a news release issued by the Organizers.

This year’s festivity’s theme is “Civic Engagement and Responsibilities,” which encourages our community to get involved in local and national elections, give back to the community through volunteerism in nonprofit organizations, participate in government politics, and hold leadership positions in government, the news release stated.

The Festival

Morales also announce the artists who will participate in the festival are Hip hop El Jibarito, Victoria Sanabria, Nino Segarra and “Yomo”.

For more information about the 2024 Florida Puerto Rican Parade & Festival, please visit floridapuertoricanparade.org

Stay connected with Florida National News and FNN NEWS en Español as we cover the 2024 Florida Puerto Rican Parade & Festival.

TALLAHASEE, Fla. – Representative Susan L. Valdés (D- Tampa) is continuing an initiative aimed at easing access to essential government documents for Puerto Rican citizens residing in the Tampa Bay area. On March 18^th, Representative Valdés will host the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration (PRFAA) at her district office, continuing a temporary setup to provide constituent services to the Puerto Rican community in Tampa.

This marks the third event of a concerted effort between Representative Valdés and PRFAA. The PRFAA temporary office will offer assistance in obtaining vital documents, including birth, marriage, death, and Administration for Child Support (ASUME) certificates, as well as drivers records, and apostille services, streamlining the process for those in need. The Government of Puerto Rico invalidated all Puerto Rican birth certificates issued prior to July 1, 2010, and is replacing them with more secure versions.

“I am proud to open my office to the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration (PRFAA) to provide these vital government services to the Puerto Rican Community in Tampa. I encourage all individuals with their original Puerto Rican birth certificate to attend this event and receive their updated version. Our office has fielded many cases where an individual was denied entry to cruises or trouble obtaining their driver’s license for presenting their outdated Puerto Rican birth certificate. Having the proper documentation for Puerto Rican citizens is essential and this effort is aimed at easing access to such services” said Representative Valdés.

Building on PRFAA’s commitment to serving Puerto Ricans across the United States, this collaboration echoes the recent establishment of their full-time office in Kissimmee, Florida. The initiative represents a significant step in extending these vital services to the Tampa Bay area.

The event is scheduled to be held at Representative Valdés‘ district office, located at 2221 N Himes Ave, Suite B, Tampa, FL 33607, on March 18th, 2024, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. For more information regarding the services offered and to book an appointment please go the PRFAA’s website: https://prfaafl.simplybook.me/v2/ or by calling the district office at 813-673-4673.