Jericho Turnpike was lined with red and green on either side as hundreds of people gathered in Mineola waving Portuguese flags on Sunday for the annual Portugal Day Parade.
The parade, which stretched from Chaminade High School to Wilson Park, brought in people from across the island and beyond.
Lydia Duarde and Rosa Maria Figuieredo came from Danbury, Connecticut, to see the parade for the third year.
Duarde and Figuieredo came to support the Danbury-based Songs of Portugal Band, which played in the parade.
Although there are other Portugal Day parades, even in Danbury, none compare to Sunday’s in Mineola, Duarde said.
“I love it, it’s beautiful,” Duarde said.
Figuieredo said the Mineola parade is much larger and has more participation than some other Portuguese parades.
Mary Sexton, a Floral Park resident, also came out to watch Sunday’s parade.
Sexton said she likes seeing all the colors and different cultural representations.
Parade floats displayed an array of Portuguese culture, from jersey-clad football fans throwing balls to the crowd, to men and women in traditional garb playing accordions and guitars.
Along with the various groups and organizations that came out and marched, the Mineola village board marched along the parade route, as did state Sen. Elaine Phillips, Assemblyman Ed Ra and Nassau County Legislature Presiding Officer Richard Nicolello.
The parade was the culmination of a weekend-long carnival and festival that featured food and rides, celebrating Portuguese culture.
