Lubbock To Host National Puerto Rican Day Festival

Sunday, June 12th is the National Puerto Rican Day Parade, and some Lubbock businesses are stepping up to spread awareness, fun and education.

The parade is in honor of the 3.2 million inhabitants of Puerto Rico and all people of Puerto Rican birth or heritage residing on the United States mainland. But here in Lubbock, they want to honor these people with the second-ever National Puerto Rican Day Caravan and Fest right here in the city on June 4th.

This is a free event for the public and there will be fun, food trucks, music, dancing, vendors, free bachata & salsa lessons and even live pro wrestling.

They will have food options like burgers, tacos, empanadillas, croquetas, empanadas, gorditas, wings, plantains, sandwiches and more. You will also get to shop small businesses with over 20 local vendors.

Carlitos' Way started this tradition last year and got other local Lubbock businesses to help as well. The owner of Carlos Tarrats was actually born and raised in Jersey City, New Jersey. It was always his dream to own a restaurant, and that's how this all got started when he moved to Lubbock. Now, Tarrats wants to share his culture.

"We celebrate our flag...because of what we went through living in NJ/NY, born and raised to Puerto Rican parents," said Carlos Tarrats, the owner of Carlitos' Way. "[I] lived in Puerto Rico in my adolescent years with my grandmother, I can relate to what we had to go through. Because of our flag we couldn’t celebrate it as we got punished for it."

Now this parade that has been hosted in New York for 66 years will be coming to Lubbock in its own way and meaning.

"After we became free of it NY and the world started the celebrations with the biggest parade Puerto Rican Parade since COVID hasn’t been last two years and back this year so it became national celebration because of COVID so for first time we celebrate our Foag and culture here I’m honored to do that for our Puerto Rican community," Tarrats said.

The event will be held on Sunday, June 4th, 2023 from 12 to 7 p.m. at Cactus Courtyard, located at 2610 Salem Ave. in Lubbock.

If you would like to learn more about the history of the Puerto Rican Day Parade, including a "deep secret," check out this interesting Facebook post.