Thousands of people gathered in the South End on Saturday for Festival Betances — a vibrant celebration of Latino culture with a parade that stretched multiple blocks, live music, dancing, and cuisine.
Now in its 52nd year, the event was organized by the Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción, a South End non-profit focused on community development. Prominent local politicians, like Mayor Michelle Wu and City Councilors Julia Mejia, Henry Santana, and Ruthzee Louijeune, took to the stage to honor the contributions of Puerto Rican, Caribbean, and Latin American communities to the city.
“This is a great tradition for the Latino community, especially for the Puerto Rican community,” said Vanessa Calderón-Rosado, the CEO of Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción.“It’s such a family-oriented event with so much joy, so much culture, so much community.”
In her speech, Wu thanked the Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción for its work in affordable housing, which she described as “housing that will keep people in their homes.”
“This community exists because of the activists who fought for generations to come,” Wu said. “We’re so proud to partner with you.”
The parade kicked off at the Plaza Betances, wound its way around Villa Victoria, a community of affordable housing units owned by Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción, and spilled onto Washington Street. Along the route, community groups carried banners, and dancers energized the onlooking crowd with their moves. Latin American music blasted from speakers tucked in open car trunks, as vehicles rolled down the road.
Isabella Santana, 13, from Roxbury, performed a dance that she’s been working on since March in the parade. In a sparkly red and blue uniform and her hair tied up in a bun, she strutted, swayed, and spun her way down the streets — along with her baton team Estrella Tropicales.
“This is my first ever parade,” Santana said, with a big smile, surrounded by a few of her dance team members. “It was really cool.”
Also marching was Leah Ruiz-Medina, 13, from Attleboro, who won “Teen Queen” at the Puerto Rican Festival in Massachusetts’ pageant. With other contestants, she walked down the blocks, wearing a red dress, a silver crown on her head, and a sash.
The stretch of road did not deter Ruiz-Medina from wearing black heels. She felt “so happy that I forgot” about any foot pain, she said.
“It really just brings me joy to see everybody coming out here and having a fun time together,” Ruiz-Medina said.
Along the route, Puerto Rican flags hung from homes, balloons bounced, and people sat in plastic chairs to witness the festivities. On the side of the road, Jorge Ortiz, 53, stood outside with a dog in his arms, as he watched the parade pass by his house.
As smoke streamed out from a portable grill, Ortiz said that he was hosting a cookout to celebrate the festival — with pinchos, or Puerto Rican grilled chicken and pork skewers, on the menu.
Back at the Plaza Betances, bands played Latin American music on a stage, as a small crowd of people danced to the beat of the drums. Attendees waved Puerto Rican flags — and others draped the flags around their shoulders.
The only thing missing? Attendees said they missed the greased pole contest, held during the past festivals. In the competition, people climb onto each other’s shoulders, hug the greased pole, and form a human ladder until someone reaches the flag at the top.
The festival did not host the greased pole competition this year, due to construction surrounding the pole, according to Rosa Gonzalez, the resident ambassador of the Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción.
“One of my dear friends always would win it,” she said, laughing. “It was very machismo, where men got to show their egos and their masculinity.”
Still, the spirit of the festival lived on. Josymir Rivera, 37,grew up on the South End — a “few doors down” from the parade route. Though she looked forward to the greased pole competition, the excitement remained, she said.
“This is home for us. Honestly, (the festival) keeps us tied to our roots,” Rivera said.
Jessica Ma can be reached at jessica.ma@globe.com.