Thousands watch and participate in the annual Ecuador Day parade in New York City

Thousands of Ecuadorians and their supporters watched and marched in the 43rd annual Ecuador Day parade in Queens, New York on Sunday. Among those who marched in the two-hour parade was New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani shakes hands along the parade route in Queens on Sunday.

According to the parade sponsor, the Ecuadorian Civic Committee, a crowd of 70,000 watched the parade and another 2,000 participated.

“The parade is part of the celebration of Ecuadorian Heritage Month, which concludes August 9, just before the anniversary of Ecuador’s first cry for independence,” said Oswaldo Guzmán, president of the committee. “Next Sunday, we expect 200,000 for the annual Ecuadorian Festival at Flushing Meadows Park where we will have food and crafts fairs and live entrainment.”

The parade down Northern Boulevard, between 69th and 87th streets, featured floats, dancers and musical groups, most wearing ceremonial Ecuadorian clothing. Among those participating in the parade were groups from Cuenca, Paute, Giron, Cañar and Otavalo.

Performers danced to traditional Ecuadorian rhythms in Sunday’s parade.

Ecuadorian festivals and cultural rituals were a highlight of the parade, with Cuenca’s float recreating the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception with scenes of Corpus Christi, while a Cañari troupe danced to the rhythm of Juyayay. Performers from Cotopaxi Province represented the Andean tradition of “Black Mama.”

Mayor Mamdani walked the length of the parade route wearing an Ecuadorian sash, shaking hands and kissing babies. Earlier he had posted on his X account a message of support for all migrants in New York City. “This is a city of migrants and today I am proud to represent the rich culture of Ecuador,” he wrote.

According to Guzmán, an estimated 450,000 Ecuadorians live in the New York City area.