Save the date for the 39th Annual Three Kings Day Parade on January 6 at El Museo Del Barrio.
Enjoy live camels, colorful puppets, parrandas, music, and dancing on this magical day. This year, the Three Kings Day Parade celebrates our youth and those that devote their life towards their social and economic well-being. The parade begins at 106th St. and Lexington Ave. and ends on 115th St. and Park Ave. After the parade, join the fun at El Museo for a musical performance and free admission to Las Galerías.
The parade begins at 11 a.m. at 106th Street and Lexington Avenue and, ends at 115th Street and Park Avenue at 12:30 p.m. Celebrate the end of the parade with traditional Puerto Rican music and food. Sponsored by Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and La Marqueta Retoña. The festivities continue at El Museo with live music and free admission to the galleries. Families, community members, organizations, school groups, and local businesses are encouraged to participate. Early registration is strongly recommended.
Don’t miss “Navideño: Three Kings and Nativitie”s from El Museo’s Permanent Collection. This special exhibition will lead to and coincide with one of the most important popular traditions in many Puerto Rican and Latin American cultures, Three Kings Day, celebrated on January 6. Since 1978, El Museo del Barrio has commemorated Día de los Tres Reyes by organizing a community parade through East Harlem. This exhibition highlights some of the Three Kings and Nativity-related objects from El Museo’s permanent collection. A group of delicate wood carvings by Puerto Rico’s santeros, depicting The Three Kings, are juxtaposed with Nativity scenes from various Latin American countries. Objects like these are typically displayed in the homes of those who celebrate the tradition, from December 6 to the Epiphany, or Three Kings Day. Accompanying these objects are traditional holiday posters by artists Antonio Maldonado and Lorenzo Homar. Also featured is a painting on the Three Kings theme by artist Scherezade García, introducing a contemporary version of this historic iconography. This display is organized in honor of Carmen Ana and Joseph Unanue, friends and benefactors of El Museo del Barrio.
More than 5,000 people participate in the Three Kings Day Parade each year. The volunteers accompany school groups along the route, distribute crowns to parade participants during the parade, and engage with children, families, and the general audience throughout the parade route. To volunteer, kindly email volunteers@elmuseo.org. This project is supported with public funds from the National Endowment for the Arts, Manhattan Borough President, Gale Brewer, and the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation.
The mission of El Museo del Barrio is to present and preserve the art and culture of Puerto Ricans and all Latin Americans in the United States. Through its extensive collections, varied exhibitions and publications, bilingual public programs, educational activities, festivals, and special events, El Museo educates its diverse public in the richness of Caribbean and Latin American arts and cultural history. By introducing young people to this cultural heritage, El Museo is creating the next generation of museum-goers, while satisfying the growing interest in Caribbean and Latin American art of a broad national and international audience.