Christmas and New Year’s have passed, but the holidays are not over in the Catholic community: Jan. 6 is Three Kings Day. Well over a thousand people are expected to attend the parade in Hartford.
“The Three Kings parade is a tradition that is done in Puerto Rico, and also around Latin America, where the Three Kings come to your home,” Angel Sierra, Spanish American Merchants Association president, said. “It's very important for the Latino community, especially the Puerto Rican community here in Hartford.”
Park Street is preparing for Saturday’s festivities.
“It's a very beautiful parade, and the whole Park Street corridor, people will be out the window saying hello, and so forth, and enjoying this beautiful celebration,” Sierra said.
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The annual tradition has continued more than 25 years in Hartford, but Saturday, the parade is back for the first time since the pandemic.
“It's been three years since we had it last, so a lot of people were waiting for this event to happen,” Sierra said.
Organized by the Spanish American Merchants Association, or SAMA, there will be music and entertainment.
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And of course, the highlight:
“The camels are the ones that bring the attraction, with the Kings on top of them,” Sierra said.
The Kings are chosen due to their contributions to the community.
“I want to make sure that tradition still keeps going, you know,” Geraldo Rivera, one of the Kings this year, said.
Rivera is a long-time volunteer for the parade.
“Twenty years,” he said.
However, this is the first time he will get the honor of being a King, sharing the joy of the holiday with the kids.
“I’ve been the kid before,” River said. “I know how the kids feel about this day. Waiting for the toys. Passing a beautiful day, enjoy the day, and games.”
Rivera joined other volunteers Thursday organizing the hundreds of toys donated to Catholic Charities’ Institute for the Hispanic Family.
“I know that they are going to be excited and they’re going to be happy," Nilda Morales, Institute for the Hispanic Family director, said. “We have really good toys this year. I think the families and children will be excited.”
The Three Kings will hand out the toys to the kids as the procession ends at Pope Park. More than 800 kids are registered to attend Saturday's parade, and the volunteers are making sure that there is a brand new toy for each and every one of them.
“It’s important that they’re keeping the Nativity and the Three Kings, that history,” Morales said. “Teaching the children what is the meaning. It's not like they're receiving the toys, what is the meaning behind the toys?”
Keeping the spirit of the holidays alive in Hartford, and embracing a Latino cultural tradition in the capital city.
“It’s very important for us as Latinos,” Sierra said. “Especially with the youngsters who kind of forget what's going on. But we also have a lot of older people that live here, and remember those beautiful days when they were younger. So it's a very nice tradition to continue forever and ever.”
The Parade steps off at 10 a.m. Saturday at 95 Park St. and ends at Pope Park sometime around 11 a.m., where the Three Kings will then hand out toys.
NBC Connecticut’s Snow Monster will make an appearance in the procession. Kids will also get the chance to take pictures with Nativity Scenes and ride the camels.
