Puerto Rican Day Parade New York 2017: Everything You Need To Know

Prepare for a fun, colorful, music-filled celebration as the 60th annual Puerto Rican Day Parade takes center stage in New York City Sunday. The parade serves as a celebration to honor the 3.5 million people of Puerto Rico and more than 5 million citizens of Puerto Rican descent residing in the U.S., according to the parade's website.

Here is everything you need to know about this year's event.

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Between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. EDT, one of the largest cultural pride demonstrations within the country will march forward. It's set to take place along Fifth Avenue in Manhattan between 44th Street and 79th Street. Since MTA noted the festival could potentially attract up to 100,000 attendees, paradegoers should plan to arrive early to participate in the big event.

The following streets are closed between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. EDT for the parade: 5th Avenue between 43rd Street and 85th Street, 44th Street to 48th Street between Madison Avenue and 6th Avenue, 79th Street to 83rd Street between 5th Avenue and Park Avenue.

Additionally, the celebration is a family-friendly event that is free to attend. The parade will also be viewable online and it can be watched here.

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The NPRDP intends to celebrate the creativity and diversity within Puerto Rico. The parade's theme — Un Pueblo, Muchas Voces (One Nation, Many Voices) — helps to further honor Puerto Rican's who have made a difference within the US.

A number of Puerto Rican leaders and public figures will be honored for their impact on American society at Sunday's parade, including Olympian Laurie Hernandez and musician Bobby Cruz. Other notable Puerto Rican figures that will be honored include the following: Yandel, Jeimy Osorio, Gilberto Santarosa, Iris Chacon, Walter Mercado, Monica Puig, Ana Isabelle, Modesto Lacen, Shalim Ortiz, and much more.

Hernandez — one of the parade's honorees — spoke with amNewYork on Thursday about her upcoming attendance at NPRDP.

"I think the Puerto Rican Day Parade is a really big deal for Puerto Ricans," Hernandez said. "Being able to be invited and be in the parade, that's definitely a really big honor. It's something that my family has definitely valued, it means a lot to us."

In discussing the ways in which she celebrated her Puerto Rican heritage growing up, the Olympian also noted that she's very excited to see" the culture" at Sunday's parade.

"I’m definitely excited to see the culture," Hernandez told amNewYork. "I feel like we have a really big culture where everyone comes together. I think we’re all a big family. I’m curious to see just who will be there and to see everyone come together like a big family."

While Sunday may be the official day of the parade, the party kicks off its weekend-long celebration on Saturday with the 116th Street Abrazo Fraternal Festival.

Between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. EDT, the lively music-filled fiesta will take place along 116th Street between Lexington and 2nd Avenues and on 3rd Avenue between 106th and 122nd Streets. The 116th Street Festival is set to attract more than 200,000, according to the festival's organizers.