The Annual Community Victory Parade kicked-off the Festival as the rain came down on streets of Loisaida. The Brazilian all-women Samba drum-line,  Fogo Azul (Blue Flame, pictured below) led the parade of amazing creations of butterflies and other fantastical figures beating their drums to alert the neighborhood that the festivities were starting. East Village blog EV Grieve shared photos of the parade, which left from Dry Dock Park at 11am. The whimsical procession made its way to the main stage, where Jeannie Sol delivered a powerful rendition of the Puerto Rican national anthem, "La Borinqueña" and the Dorill Initiative, a group of local youth performed acapella, and danced to these voices of our future.

Dozens of vendors lined Loisaida Avenue , among them, artisans, community organizations, a Healthy Living Zone, Eco Zones, Puerto Rican, Latin American and other ethnic cuisine, as well as the return of the  BioBus , a mobile laboratory that gives children and adults alike the opportunity to learn about science in a fun and engaging environment.   

The Loisaida Inc. Theater Lab At La Plaza Cultural sponsored the New York City premiere of ¡Ay María!, a play that offers a glimpse of the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, originally performed in all 78 of the island's municipalities.  ¡Ay Maria! was the centerpiece of a series of performances that explored the Puerto Rican experience post-Maria that culminated with the traditional Cabezudo Pageant, and a special tribute to the late Adela Fargas, a Puerto Rican Icon and creator of Casa Adela.