The fifth annual Hispanic Heritage Parade will be held on Sunday, May 17 in downtown Patchogue Village.

This year’s grand marshal is long-time Patchogue Village mayor, Paul Pontieri.

In addition, Gallo restaurant, who has been located in Patchogue Village for over 20 years, will serve as ambassador, the honorees include: Sheriff Captain Jose Nunez (the highest ranking Latino captain in the sheriff’s office), Ana Maria Caraballo Gonzalez, the Program director for La Fiesta 98.5 & Party 105.3 and QuemasJo, an influencer with over 140,000 followers.

According to parade organizer and village trustee, Liz Carrillo, Pontieri has been a strong advocate for the Latino community in Patchogue and wanted to honor his efforts with the appointment to grand marshal.

Founded in 2022, the parade was envisioned as, “…a focus on cultural education. Sometimes the community has differences from not knowing each other’s backgrounds We wanted to education people on culture. It was something for the Latino community,” said Carrillo.

This year’s grand prize is two Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) VIP tickets. Tickets will be sold for $30 each or $25 if tickets are purchased in bulk. The proceeds will be reinvested in the Hispanic Heritage Foundation to build for future events and sponsorships.

Local restaurants and businesses have signed on to provide special deals for parade day and to provide cultural giveaways aimed towards the children attending.

The Economic Opportunity Council of Suffolk, Inc (EOC), a not-for-profit 501 (c) (3) minority community based organization (CBO) founded in 1967, is one of the most robust advocatesand support system for the Latino community in Patchogue, 1967.

“Our mission is to promote a goal of self-sufficiency by broadening the minds of children, revitalizing communities, and assisting families and children in need through the provision of services and to coordinate available federal, state, local and private resources,” said an EOC representative.

Carrillo also said that Sepa Mujer, a woman’s organization based in Patchogue, and the Patchogue-Medford Library had also advocated for the Latino community.

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